War
by superfreakerz
Summary: AU. Battling for the location of the class fieldtrip, the two popular groups at Fairy Tail Academy go head to head in matches with each other. Lucy Heartfilia is determined to win, but going against Natsu Dragneel surely isn't going to be easy. NALU GRUVIA JERZA GAJEVY.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hello everyone! :D This story is something that I've never done before in many ways so bear with me! This is going to be my first 1st person narrative story! It's also my first story that isn't just Nalu! I know that all of my stories have bits and pieces of other couples I ship, but they are actually going to have much bigger parts in this story! Of course, Nalu is the main as always. Basically, I wanted some cheesy high school story lmao.

Lucy and Natsu will always have a POV each chapter- except for this one because it's almost like a prologue. With the other couples, it'll take turns by chapter! For example, in the next chapter, Lucy and Natsu have POVs along with Erza. Next will have someone from a different pairing! Here are the ships in this story: **NALU, GALE, JERZA, GRUVIA.** Hope you all like and review. :)

Chapter 1

At Fairy Tail Academy, there are two popular groups to be aware of: the boys and the girls, four members of each. Both groups are highly respected in this school and attract two different crowds. While everyone else in the school mingled and dated and indulged in occasional flings, these two groups seemed adamant on staying away from the other side. The side of the unknown. The side of the opposite gender. It wasn't that they didn't like each other, that wasn't the case at all. It was more like they were content with life and didn't see the need in conversing with the other group. Not to mention the fact that they didn't know _how._ Let's take a look at these groups now.

On the boys side was none other than Jellal Fernandez. Nobody knew much about him considering he recently transferred here, yet despite that, he quickly rose to the leader or father-like figure of the group. He had long messy locks of bright blue hair, but the most distinguishable thing about him was the red face tattoo that covered the right side of his face. Despite the odd tattoo and different hair color, the boy was actually the most well-mannered and quiet in the group of boys. He got good grades, wore his uniform appropriately, and never got into fights- though he never did stop his friends from fighting either and instead watched. He was like the mature overseer of the group that stood tall yet mysterious.

Next was Gajeel Redfox. This boy was the complete opposite of good student material. He had an unruly mane of black hair that fell all the way down his back. His face was adorned with multiple piercings, which were a direct violation of the school code. I mean, they were everywhere. They were above his eyebrows and on the sides of his nose. On some days he even wore a bandana around his forehead, which was a huge no-no. All in all, Gajeel's appearances didn't help him with the teachers considering he looked like a punk. His personality didn't help either. He was loud and disruptive, often fighting others and falling asleep in class. Grades were clearly of unimportance to him- besides his mechanic class, apparently that was the only class he aced easily. To sum it up, he wasn't someone most wanted to hang around.

Gray Fullbuster was another boy in the popular male bunch. He was definitely more reserved than Gajeel and only picked fights with his friends or those that insulted people he cared about. Once somebody insulted his sister, Ultear, and it was like all hell broke loose. Anyways, Gray was well-liked among the ladies and was deemed the most attractive boy in school with his dark locks of spiky hair and his equally dark eyes. His smirk caused girls to swoon, along with his abs. Oh that's right, Gray wasn't immune to any quirks. In fact, his was just as problematic as Gajeel's. See, the boy had a severe stripping problem. He could often be found roaming the halls shirtless, and on his most stressful days, only in boxers. He practically funded the school with how many uniforms he had to buy because of how many he lost. Seriously, it was like they just vanished out of thin air!

Lastly, there was Natsu Dragneel. Gajeel was a walk in the park compared to this guy. Natsu constantly picked fights with just about _anyone,_ including teachers. It wasn't that he was angry, he just genuinely loved a good fight and found it to be harmless fun. He also wasn't one for the school uniform, however. The top buttons were always undone and he always wore a checkered scarf that nobody had ever seen him without. Though teachers demanded he take it off, the boy would always refuse, which often got him in trouble. Another thing that got him in trouble- which also served as a distinguishable trait- were his pink tufts of spiky hair. It was an odd color as no other boy in school had pink hair. Surprisingly, he claimed it to be his natural hair color and refused to dye it.

All in all, the boys were full of trouble makers. Much different from the girl group, which the school dubbed as the Fairy Four.

While Jellal was the unannounced leader of the boys, Erza Scarlet was the _announced_ leader of the girls. She was stern and downright scary at times, yet was still kind and cared for her friends. With long scarlet hair and bangs that swooped to the side and a voluptuous body, the girl was deemed one of the most beautiful girls at school- just as all of the Fairy Four were. As student council president and captain of multiple sports time, the redhead carried such an air of authority, people couldn't help but respect and envy her.

Next was Levy McGarden. She was the most petite junior at Fairy Tail Academy, but her brains made up for her height. She was easily the smartest girl- no, _student_ \- at school and already had universities fighting for her. The girl's hair was a bright blue, eerily similar to Jellal's- in fact, people wondered if he was her long lost brother when he first transferred. Adorning her bright locks was a yellow headband she had worn since she was a child. Though Levy appeared to be a sweet, innocent flower of a girl, in truth she was incredibly snarky and sarcastic, loving to tease her friends any chance she got. Of course, she was still a sweet and kind girl, just like the rest.

Juvia Lockser was the next of the Fairy Four, who like Jellal recently transferred to Fairy Tail Academy. With snow white skin and wavy deep blue hair, the girl was easily one of the most beautiful girls at school. She was shy and insecure, apparently due to the fact that she was bullied at her last school because of her speaking quirk. She had the habit of speaking in third person. But despite that, Juvia was a nice soul… who also had an obsession with Gray. Yes, the girl was often lurking around him and sending evil glares to girls that got too close. But again, still a nice girl, really!

Lastly, there was me. My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I'm a junior here at Fairy Tail Academy and transferred during the end of sophomore year. While I don't want to brag, I consider myself an attractive girl with my long locks of golden hair- which actually is rare because everyone here has wacky hair colors. How strange. Anyways, soon after I came here, Levy found me eating lunch by myself and introduced me to Erza. They were my first friends and when Juvia joined, it got even better. For some reason, the school admired us and gave us our nickname of the Fairy Four, and if I'm being honest with myself, I actually like the name. Not to mention the attention, which is something I never get at home.

See, after my mother died, my father and I started to grow distant. I apparently resemble my mother too much, it hurts him to look at me. Over time, my father and I drifted apart and he resided on one side of our mansion while I resided on the other. It was hard at first, but I got used to it. Though I wish that my father paid more attention to me, I know that I need to be patient. He'll come around eventually, and I'll be ready for that time. We'll go back to being a happy family. I just know it.

Only Levy and the others knew about my relationship with my father and I intended to keep it that way. While the school paper often tried to learn more about us, we all dealt with our own secrets, our own past pains. I don't know all about them and they don't know all about me. Maybe one day I'll let them in, but for now I just want to forget and enjoy school, no matter how hard it may be considering it's you know, school.

After being dropped off at the academy by one of my favorite servants, Capricorn, I walked eagerly onto the school grounds and towards my classroom. There, I found the rest of my friends waiting for me. The four of us sat in the front by the door in a square, Juvia and Erza in the front row while Levy and I sat in the row behind them, my seat behind Erza's. I greeted them cheerfully as always and sat in my seat. Glancing around the room, I saw that the room was surprisingly fuller than usual. I typically enter early when the classroom is still nearly empty. Jellal and Gray were the only members of the male group that were there already in their spots- which was the opposite corner of ours. I shrugged it off and returned my attention to my friends again.

"Lu-chan, your birthday is in two weeks!" Levy exclaimed.

I forced a bright smile to my face and nodded. My friends didn't know that my birthday was sort of a taboo event for me and that I hadn't celebrated in years. It was going to be my first birthday at Fairy Tail Academy and I planned on pretending like it didn't exist. Much to my chagrin, Erza already snooped in my files to discover that damned day.

"It is," I finally replied. "But I don't plan on celebrating. I just want things to be normal, you know?"

"Juvia doesn't understand," the blunette chimed in. "Your birthday is supposed to be special!"

"I agree," Erza added. "You will be celebrating with us."

I sweat dropped and reluctantly nodded my head. This would be my first birthday spent with friends. Well, I guess there's a first for everything. There was a loud slam at the door in front of us, causing me to jump in my seat. Butting heads to get in first were none other than Gajeel Redfox and Natsu Dragneel.

"Move it, metal mouth!" Natsu shouted, trying to force himself in.

"You move! I was here first!" Gajeel retorted.

"No you weren't!"

"Yes I was!"

"Boys," Levy whispered to me. "They're so immature."

"They are," I agreed, though it was entertaining to watch them fight. It got even more entertaining when Erza- who only spoke to the boys in times to get them to stop being idiotic- stood up to reprimand them. _"This is going to be good!"_

The redhead marched up to the two and crashed their heads together like coconuts. "That is enough, got it?"

"A-Aye," they replied in unison as they crawled to their spots.

I let out a quiet giggle and watched their puddle-like bodies slowly approach their desks. When Natsu finally slouched in his seat, he glared at Gajeel. Then, as if there was some type of alert in his body telling him somebody was watching him, he turned to face me. I squeaked, my face blushing at the sudden eye contact. His face was confused and questioning, probably wondering why I was staring at him, then he grinned and waved. I whipped my head to face the front, my body flushing from the whole ordeal. How embarrassing to be caught staring at someone you don't know.

Luckily, Gildarts Sensei walked in, signaling the start of class and making me forget my embarrassment.

"Good morning, kids," he said, taking his spot in the front of the class. "I have an important announcement to make. We will be going on a field trip at the end of the month because I said so. I've decided to let you guys decide amongst yourself to figure out where we'll be going. Of course, it must be appropriate and can't cost the school too much money. Now, you guys have two weeks from now to decide and if you can't agree by then, we'll be going to the Crocus Museum. Do any of you guys have some ideas now that you'd like to share?"

I glanced around the room, seeing that nobody was raising their hands. There was _one_ place that I always wanted to go but never had the chance because my father wouldn't let me… Hesitantly raising my hand, I gained Sensei's attention to voice my idea.

"What about the Crocus Garden?" I shyly proposed, happy to hear some of my classmates' oohs and awes. "There are a bunch of different plants and trees and there's this rainbow cherry blossom sakura tree that I've heard about that is supposed to be blooming by then-"

"That sounds lame," a scruffy voice interrupted. I turned my head to find Gajeel with his feet on his desk. "Sorry, Bunny Girl. But there's no way _that's_ going to be any fun."

Don't be a jerk, Gajeel!" Levy exclaimed in my defense. "It sounds like a lot of fun! Not like _you_ boys can come up with anything better anyways!"

"Oh really?" Natsu sneered, a wide smirk etched on his lips. "For once, metal mouth is right! That doesn't sound fun at all! I say we go to a boxing match!"

"Our school cannot afford to send us all there, Natsu," Erza argued. "Besides, that wouldn't be beneficial to us at all. At least with Lucy's idea we can study all different types of plants."

The boy cackled and replied, "Well then just send me!"

"I hate to agree with flame brain, but I don't wanna go to some plant place at all. It's a waste of time," Gray added.

"Juvia must disagree with her lovely Gray-sama!" the blunette cried. "The garden sounds so romantic, we must go!"

"That isn't a good enough reason to go," Jellal countered. "Why don't we just vote now?"

It seemed like a reasonable idea. Thus, we all voted. And much to our chagrin, the vote ended in a blasted tie.

"Well, you all have until the Friday before the trip to decide. That gives you all two weeks to either come up with a better idea, decide on Crocus Garden, or we go to the museum," Gildarts said. "And I can assure you that the museum is going to be boring. So good luck!"

The two groups stared down the other viciously- save for Juvia, who only swooned over the sight of Gray. And just like that, the battle that brought us all together commenced.

 **AN:** I'm excited about this story! I never write stories for couples that aren't my OTP! It'll be hard (especially Gruvia tbh) but I think I can do it. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Now that it's the second chapter, other people will be getting POVs. As I said the last chapter, Natsu and Lucy will always have one and it'll switch each chapter for everyone else! Hope you all enjoy! :D Ugh tried updating earlier today but my laptop decided to restart lol. Anyways, new days for updating are Mondays and Thursdays. :)

Chapter 2

Once lunch began, I pulled out my lunch box and sighed at the extravagant food that laid in the box. While others would be dying to eat something like this, all I was craving at the moment were salty potato chips- which were practically considered a sin at home. All of my food had to be healthy or at least fancy, two things that I absolutely hated.

Standing up, I told my friends, "I'm going to go get something from the vending machine. I'll be right back."

"Can I have some of your lunch, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, drooling over the vegetarian sushi rolls.

I giggled and answered, "Go for it."

With that, I strode out of the classroom and up the set of stairs, ready to find a vending machine to indulge my hunger. The hallways were always deserted during lunch, save for the occasional couple that decided to make out in the halls. Usually people ate in the classroom or in the cafeteria. When my eyes finally landed on the vending machine, my heart soared at all of the unhealthy snacks. Chips, chocolate, gummies, all sorts of goodies were stashed in the sacred box. Settling for a bag of chips, I inserted the money and reached to pick up my new lunch. Opening the bag, I was about to relish in the salty taste before the chip in my hand was hastily snatched away. I whipped my head toward the culprit and found Natsu munching on the chip in front of me. Fury welled inside of me- after all, I am a bit possessive over my food- and I refrained from beating him senseless. Then he had to nerve to grin at me.

"Thanks, Luce!" he said, ruffling my hair.

I smacked his hand away and glared at him. "Don't call me that. And how dare you just take some of my food!"

The pink-headed boy frowned and replied, "It was only one chip, calm down."

"You calm down!" I retorted, stomping my foot admittedly childishly on the floor. "I paid for that! And I don't even know you!"

I was going to march away from him, only to fall forward from stepping on my apparently untied shoelace. A loud shriek escaped my mouth as I prepared myself for the worst. I was sure to end up with some bruises after this. Thankfully, I fell into something firm. Though hard, it wasn't as hard as the floor would've been and there was something wrapped around my waist to keep me from falling any further. Glancing up, I found Natsu staring at me with a wide grin. He straightened me up, removing his arm from my waist, which was scorching from the contact.

"I think I repaid you for that chip now, huh?" Natsu teased, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

"Shoot, my chips!" I cried as I found my lunch scattered on the floor. I turned my attention back to Natsu and pouted, "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" he questioned incredulously. "How is it my fault? You're the one that tripped!"

"Only because I was trying to get away from you as soon as possible! If you weren't annoying me I would've been just fine!"

"Oh please! Your shoe is still untied!"

"Still! I wouldn't have tripped if I wasn't running and I wouldn't have been running if it wasn't for _you!_ So it is your fault!"

"You're crazy!"

"Oi, hurry up, Flame Brain," Gray said as he appeared out of nowhere. "What are you doing over here anyways?"

"I was just getting a snack," Natsu answered. "Let's go. See you later, Luigi!"

"It's _Lucy!"_ I shouted after him. With an annoyed sigh, I marched down the stairs and back into the classroom. I plopped heavily into my seat, releasing an angry huff.

"What happened, Lu-chan?" Levy asked.

"Don't even ask."

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

"What were you doing talking to Lucy?" Gray asked as I sat next him.

We were on the roof, our usual lunch destination.

"I was just annoying her for a little bit," I answered, grinning at the memory. Lucy was weird yet intrigued me. Seeing her angry face made me want to upset her even more because of how funny it was.

"Good," Gajeel said. "We need to make sure that stupid flower-picking field trip doesn't happen."

"I don't mind it either way," Jellal chimed in.

"I do," Gray said. "Girls are just going to fling themselves at me the whole time because that place is dubbed the most romantic place in Fiore."

"As if girls would fling themselves at you," I teased.

Gray punched me in the arm and shot back, "At least I've had girlfriends!"

"Oi, that doesn't mean anything! Girls ask me, I just say no!"

"Because you're scared of them!"

"I ain't scared!"

Gray snorted and said, "Please, the moment a girl has feelings for you, you run away! Need I remind you about Lisanna?"

"Whatever," I muttered. "But I agree, we can't spend our one field trip of the year looking at a bunch of plants! We gotta win this!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Jellal asked.

I grinned mischievously, rubbing my hands together. "You know how the Titania refuses to turn down a challenge? Well, if we challenge their leader to a contest to see who decides where to go for our field trip, we can beat them and choose the place!"

"I guess that makes sense," Gray said. "What kinda contest you talking about?"

I shrugged my shoulders and answered, "Anything really. I doubt they could beat us at much."

"They beat us when it comes to academics," Jellal reminded.

"Well we won't do an academic contest! Anyways, you guys in?"

Gajeel and Gray nodded while Jellal only sighed.

"Let me guess, you want me to talk to Erza?" he knowingly asked.

I grinned and nodded my head. "Yep!"

"Fine."

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch- in which I ate nothing- I found myself glancing at the door, waiting for a certain pinkette to show up. Once he did, we immediately made eye contact, causing my cheeks to flush. I covered it up though by mustering a nasty glare, to which Natsu only grinned at. How annoying could he get?

The rest of the day went by in an easy blur. School was never hard for me. My lowest grade was an A- in math, but even that's still good. I scored the second highest- after Levy of course- in our grade. My dad hasn't congratulated me yet but it'll happen. I know it will.

Anyways, the rest of the school day was a breeze, though I did find myself glancing towards the opposite corner of the room to look at Natsu. Though he annoys me, I couldn't help but find him a bit interesting. I mean, who goes around eating other people's food and making nicknames for them on the spot? It was weird and yet exciting, not that I would ever admit it aloud.

I waved to Levy and Juvia and quickly left the room so that I could get to Capricorn. Being home late wasn't an option, I learned that the hard way. So, I scurried out of the school and towards the spot I knew Capricorn would be waiting for me. Luckily he parked a bit away from the school so as to not embarrass me. After all, the attention I would receive for being picked up in a limousine would kill me.

As I was rushing to the limo, I saw Erza talking to Jellal. I stopped in my tracks, watching them as it was weird for the two to be talking. When Jellal first joined the school, I had a feeling the two knew each other before by the way Erza glared at him. Though she could be scary at times, she is usually a kind person so it didn't make sense. I didn't question it though. Everyone is allowed their own secrets and pasts. I know I have my own.

As I watched Erza talk to Jellal, I couldn't help but notice that she looked angry. And not angry in the sense that somebody destroyed her strawberry cake- which was a scary sight to see- but angry as in thoroughly angry for a good reason. I've never seen her that mad before. Realizing that I was being nosy and not to mention late, I shook my head and was about to meet Capricorn when I ran into something hard. Looking up, I immediately scowled seeing pink tufts of hair.

"What do you want, Natsu?" I questioned, attempting to side step him and carry on my way.

The boy blocked my path and grinned at me.

"I was waiting for Jellal," he answered. "I saw you and thought I would say hi!"

"Alright, you said hi, now let me go."

"Nah. Let's hang out!"

My eyes widened as I stared incredulously at the boy. Hang out? I just met him today! Well, sure he's been in my class for a while, but I've never actually said a word to him until today.

"No way," I replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go." I pushed past him and was about to finally leave when he spoke again.

"Fine," he said after a sigh. "I guess if you're too much of a wimp to hang out with me you can go."

I stopped in my tracks at those words. Turning to face him, I marched up to him and jabbed him in the chest with my finger.

"Fine," I replied. "Tomorrow, after school. I'll hang out with you. But after that, you gotta stop talking to me. Deal?"

Natsu gave me a face-splitting grin, one that made my heart flutter for some reason.

"Deal!" he exclaimed, holding his hand out to me. I shook it and was about to leave but he held it tighter. "But after you hang out with me you're never gonna want to stop."

I snorted and replied, "As if." I snatched my hand back and sashayed to the limousine Capricorn was waiting for me in. "Sorry I'm a little late!"

Capricorn smiled at me and replied, "It is of no trouble to me. But do know that your father wants you home on time."

"I know."

With that, we drove off, away from the school and towards the mansion that I have grown to resent.

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

As school ended, I walked towards the principal's office to see if there were any other things needed to be taken care of before I returned home. As the student council president, I often find myself at the school until late hours of the day. I usually don't mind. It is a productive use of time. As I walked, my eyes landed on Jellal and a frown etched itself onto my face. He just had to transfer to this school of all places, not to mention become the student council vice president. I averted my eyes, pretending that he didn't exist, just as I always did until he walked in front of me, obstructing my path.

"What do you want, Jellal?" I questioned, my voice low and menacing. "If you're here to apologize for what you've done again you are wasting your time."

Jellal frowned and shook his head. "I'm not here to apologize. I'm here to suggest something."

I narrowed my eyes at the boy suspiciously and questioned, "And what is that?"

He took a deep breath and answered, "It is a way for us to decide where to go for our school fieldtrip."

"I already decided. We're going to Crocus Garden. Lucy's birthday is coming up soon and this would be a great way to celebrate."

"If I recall correctly, Levy said that Lucy's birthday was in two weeks. The fieldtrip is in three."

I glared at Jellal, hating that he was always right. "It doesn't matter. We're going there."

"Not unless you get enough votes, and with the way things are now, it's a tie," the blunette replied. "Natsu suggested that we have a contest to decide."

I arched a brow at the suggestion and asked, "Contest? What kind?"

"Any. They think that you girls won't be able to beat them at anything."

"And what do _you_ think?"

"I think they underestimate the strength of females."

I eyed Jellal suspiciously, wondering if there was any catch. Seeing that he seemed honest, I nodded my head. "Alright. We will all discuss this tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go."

I brushed past Jellal, the warmth from the contact of our shoulders brushing against each other frustrating me. After all these years and everything he did, I still can't help but notice that damned warmth from him. I was supposed to hate him but I knew deep down that would never be possible. The love I felt for him years ago never vanished, it was only buried. I could only hope it wouldn't resurface.

 **AN:** Alright, next chapter will have a POV from somebody in a different ship! :D And sheesh, I just realized how OOC Natsu and Lucy are. *Barfs* Sorry about that. I'll try to have them more in character in the future. And sorry if there were any typos. I re-read it earlier but like I said my laptop decided to restart and I don't wanna read it again lol.

 **SingingAngel327:** Thank you so much for checking this story out too! :D

 **Sam1114:** Endless Nalu stories forever! :D

 **Daige:** Thank you so much again! :D

 **Avhaskake:** How could he resist fighting Gildarts haha? :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you for supporting all of my stories. :')

 **Fluffyshygirl11:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you I wanted to challenge myself haha! :D

 **Nalulove:** Wow already!? :D I liked Better Together too!

 **Tsuna. Vongola Sky Ring Bearer:** Thank you for the review. :)

 **Sarara1.8:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Guest:** I am! :D Not sure how long it's going to be yet! :)

 **M.B.A786:** Wow it's your fav already after one chapter!? Wow! :D And wow I am so glad I inspired you. :') Must go check out your story!

 **MirrorFlame:** Thank you so much! ;D

 **IVCelestialDragonSlayerVI:** Mondays and Thursdays. :) I'm too busy now to update every other day. :(

 **Lunahartz:** Haha I don't know! My problem is Juvia's speech quirk! Since it's in first person perspective I don't know if I should say stuff like "I jumped" or "Juvia jumped" but using Juvia's name all the time would get annoying haha! Thanks sis! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** I'm thinking this story is going to be my longest Nalu story yet! :D Btw, you guys should follow me on Tumblr, I'm trying to use it more! My username is the same for this site. I follow back. :) And here's a question I'm curious about, what is your zodiac sign? :) Can you guess mine? ;D

Chapter 3

As I woke up the next morning, a giddy feeling sprouted in the pit of my stomach. It was because I made plans to hang out with Natsu after school. I didn't know what it was, but something about him was intriguing, despite how annoying he is. As I got ready for school, I threw on my uniform and ate a bland breakfast of finger sandwiches. I took a deep breath and headed towards the opposite side of the mansion towards my father's study and hesitantly knocked on the door, waiting for my father's reply.

"Who is it?" his voice sternly called out.

"I-It's Lucy," I replied, mentally cursing myself for stammering. "May I come in, Father?"

"Make it quick."

A sad smile graced my lips as I opened the door and bowed. I walked towards my dad's desk and sat in the opposite seat.

"Father, I am here to inform you that I must stay late after school."

For the first time in months, my father lifted his head from his work and studied me hard. "And why is that?"

I swallowed nervously and lied, "I was asked to tutor others."

"Why you? You shouldn't waste your time with those of lesser value. Mingling with those that aren't as intelligent will only dim your own mind."

A pang of annoyance shot through me but I bit my tongue back. There have been countless times in which I argued with my dad about those of "lesser value" and each time it got me nowhere other than in trouble. So, I decided to play the part that he always wanted me to play.

"Don't worry, Father. I was asked because I am the only one intelligent enough. I am the second ranked student in my grade after all. But I figured that if I spend more time with these dimwits I could persuade them to talk to their parents about the company and perhaps start some negotiations."

The corner of Jude's lips tugged into a smirk as he replied, "Good thinking, Lucy. Now begone. I have work to do. Make sure that you do not mess up."

I smiled, wanting to say more to my dad. This was our first conversation in so long it brought back memories of when we played along with my mother. Times were much happier then. And now he finally looked at me, not to mention the small smile he gave! I really felt like things were getting better.

"Father-"

"I thought I told you I was working," he interrupted sharply. "I already told you that you may stay after school so if you have nothing else to say of equal importance then leave. Oh and Lucy, in regards to you being the second best in your grade..."

"Yes?" I questioned, a smile ghosting my lips. Was he actually going to praise me?

"I expect you to be the absolute best, not second. You need to focus more on your studies."

I swallowed thickly and nodded, turning around and leaving the study. Tears pricked my eyes as I tried my hardest not to cry, especially in front of Capricorn, who gave me a pitying look. So maybe things with my father would take longer than I thought.

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

I sat in class, waiting for my friends to arrive. I'm always the first one to show up, even before Erza despite her being the student council president. My face was buried in a book per usual, enjoying the peaceful quiet the empty classroom had to offer me. I love reading books. They always give me an escape from my boring reality and lead me into a world of unknown.

I love all types of books. Horror novels give me exciting chills, adventure novels fill me with excitement, and sad stories make me realize how good I have it. But my all-time favorite genre is romance. The reason for that, though I would never admit this to anyone, is because I have no clue what love is like and want to experience it. Sadly, boys here aren't that interested in _me._ They're more interested in my other friends, and I can see why. They have long hair and curves while I am flat chested and have messy locks of blue. Not to mention the fact that I'm a nerd and I'm too shy.

But nonetheless, I wanted to experience love. I knew just about everything yet I knew nothing about love. Well, I knew the chemicals and whatnot but I didn't know the _feeling._ After I started hanging out with Erza and Lucy, boys actually have started noticing me more. Though, I wouldn't say it's _me_ they are noticing. It's obvious they're just focused on the fact that I'm popular. They probably want help with homework or something too. The only two boys in this school that continue chasing after me even when I turn them down are Jet and Droy. They're my close friends but I know that they're more infatuated with me instead of in love with me.

I want a boy that doesn't put me on a pedestal. I want him to notice me and all my quirks and still be in love with me, not infatuated. I want him to think I'm beautiful and admire my intelligence rather than rely on it. I want someone to love me for me and me only. But sadly I haven't met him yet, so I read about fictional characters that find their soulmates instead.

The door was then suddenly barged open, forcing me to lift my head from my book. To my surprise, it was Gajeel. I didn't know much about him, but I did know that him arriving early was bad news. This was made even clearer by the mischievous grin planted on his face. He turned to look at me and I flushed from head to toe but refused to look away. Even though everyone else thinks that he's just a delinquent, I can't help but think there's more to him. While others consider his appearance to be unruly, I find myself actually liking it. I'm not blind after all. Gajeel is hot.

"What are you looking at, Shrimp?" Gajeel suddenly questioned, pulling me from my thoughts.

I blushed deeply and glared at him. "Don't call me that!"

The boy let out a strange "gihi" laugh and walked towards his corner. I watched as he pulled out a bottle of clear glue and poured its contents onto Natsu's seat. Is this what all boys were like? I giggled and shook my head. No, not all boys were like this. Only the interesting ones were.

The door opened again and I saw Sensei walk in. He immediately noticed Gajeel's actions and sighed.

"You know," he began, talking to Gajeel, "if you keep this up and continue to not focus on school, you're going to be held back."

Gajeel glared at Sensei and shot back, "Like I care about that. School is for chumps anyways."

"What about your friends? You won't be able to have any classes with them or graduate. And I assume you could use a few friends."

Gajeel scowled and turned his attention back to the chair, signaling the end of his conversation with Sensei. Gildarts sighed and left the room again, probably to get a canned coffee from the vending machine. I turned to face Gajeel again and found that he was scowling at the chair in front of him, deep in thought. I had a feeling I was going to regret this but I hesitantly opened my mouth to speak.

"He's right you know," I told him. "You really should try more at school."

Gajeel delivered a harsh glare and replied, "Easy for you to say! You get perfect grades all the time and you're the number one student! I do try, I'm just not good at any of this stuff!"

I opened my mouth, only to close it again. So he doesn't understand? I always assumed he just never cared. I should've known though. After all, I have caught him a few times trying to take notes but growing frustrated and quitting.

"I can tutor you," I proposed, not meaning to.

Gajeel stared at me incredulously before shaking his head. "Nah, don't want your pity or your help."

This time I was the one glaring as I replied, "I'm not pitying you! I'm offering to help you now you better accept it!"

"Why the hell do you wanna help me anyways?"

"I-I don't know," I answered truthfully. "But I'm going to whether you want me to or not so you should just make it easier for yourself and accept."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes suspiciously before sighing. "Tsch, fine."

I smiled brightly, butterflies swarming in my stomach. "Great! I'll come over after school today!"

"Suit yourself."

I smiled again and returned my attention to my book before the door opened again. This time I saw that it was Lucy. I could tell that her eyes were a bit red and her nose was pink, leading me to assume that she just got into an argument with her dad again. This was a normal occasion after all.

I didn't know the full details of Lucy's relationship with her father but I knew enough. She told me and the other girls that they talk a few times a month even though they live together and that he is very strict. I always assumed that was why she never hung out with us after school. I don't know how their relationship got like this and I never asked, not wanting to hurt the girl any more.

"You okay, Lu-chan?" I questioned softly. "Is it your dad again?"

Lucy smiled at me and shook her head. "No, no! Everything is fine, don't worry about me! It's just a little chilly, that's why my nose is red!"

I frowned at the obvious lie but nodded reluctantly. If she wasn't ready to talk then I wasn't going to push her.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

I walked into class just before the bel rangl- which is pretty good for me considering I'm usually late. I couldn't help but look towards my left for a certain blonde. Usually we share eye contact and grin at each other, which for some reason makes my chest feel light. But today she didn't spare me a glance. Instead, her head hung low, but I could still see that her nose was a little pink, along with her eyes. She was crying.

I looked around the room for any clues as to why she was crying, ready to kill whoever caused it. I don't know why, but I felt very protective of her. When I didn't find any clues, I turned my attention back towards Lucy, but found her short friend staring at me with wonder. It was clear that she saw I was worried about Lucy, which embarrassed me. After all, I just started talking to the girl yesterday. So, I quickly averted my gaze and walked to my seat, the feeling of the short girl's gaze lingering on me the entire way.

I sat beside Gajeel in the back, watching as the short girl- LEVY! That's her name! Anyways, I watched as Levy talked to Lucy. It was obvious Lucy was trying to be happy but it's not like we're blind. Anyone could see that she was crying. Wasn't hard.

"It's because of her old man apparently," Gajeel's voice suddenly rang out.

I turned my attention on the punk- who just so happened to be my cousin- beside me and asked, "What do you mean?"

Gajeel shrugged and answered, "I overheard them talking about it. You're wondering about Bunny Girl, right? Shrimp asked if it was because of her old man again."

I faced Lucy once again. So she's got issues with her old man too? I felt myself being drawn towards her even more. There was a connection between us, I could feel it. She interested me in ways nobody else could and I found myself wanting to know more about her.

Finally, Lucy's eyes darted towards me, reminding me of the time we first stared at each other yesterday. She gave me a smile and a small wave, which made my heart jump for some reason. I grinned widely at her, hoping to make her feel better. I think it worked a little bit considering she gave Levy a real smile after. Pride sprouted inside of my stomach as I continued to stare at Lucy. Damn she was interesting. She caused my body to do weird things I've never experienced before. Warmth, fast heartrate, excitement. All of these things were brought from Lucy. I just wish I knew why.

 **AN:** Poor Lucy. :( Here's a hint for my zodiac sign: :'( I am a... cancer! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** I shall answer those questions to the best of my ability! :D 1.) You'll have to wait and see to find out about a lot of their pasts. :D 2.) I didn't mean it to be a butt-holey way for Jellal! It was more of like he was sad but he's apologized countless of times and knew it wouldn't do him any good to do it again haha! Thanks for the review! :D

 **Sam1114:** Gotta love Nalu. :')

 **Katiekat2001:** Thank you as always! :D

 **Silver Ocean Jackson:** Wow thank you so much! :D I like to keep things simple just because I personally like reading things that aren't too overly detailed you know? :D

 **Alexa60765:** From the looks of this chapter, it seems she does! D: Poor little Lucy!

 **Nalulove:** And you will learn! :D Eventually! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Lmao you reviewed the wrong story! That's okay though! :D And thank you, I was a bit worried they were too OOC!

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh man I have no idea... We've been talking for months haha gotta figure out something new to talk about! :D

 **M.B.A786:** Thank you so much! I checked out your story and your writing is amazing! :D And yes it bugs me too when authors suddenly stop but I have no room to talk since I did that with my earlier stories lmao. It's just hard to come up with ideas sometimes!

 **Guest (Lunahartz):** Agh thank you so much for your input I will definitely do that! :D THANK YOU SIS. Are you ungrounded yet?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Gruvia wasn't actually as hard to write as I thought it would be! If anything, Jerza is the hard one to right now lmao! But I have confidence in myself. :) Hope you like this chappy!

Chapter 4

 _Gray P.O.V._

I sped through the school's courtyard, trying to get to class as quickly as possible. I was running late that morning because my sister thought it would be funny to unplug my alarm clock. I'll get her back, but for now I needed to get to class before the bell rang or else Sensei will give me another detention. If I get another one I'll have to miss the next fighting match and I definitely can't have that happen or else Natsu will have an advantage.

As I quickly cut a corner, the hallway was finally in sight. I would make it on time and not have a detention. A flash of blue caught my attention in the corner of my eye and I turned to see Juvia surrounded by three other girls. I was about to keep walking to class, after all I didn't know anything about Juvia at all, for all I knew those girls could've been her friends. Not to mention the fact that she scared me with how clingy and almost stalkerish she was. As I was about to walk, Juvia's eyes met mine I could tell that they were full of sadness.

Shrugging it off, I was about to continue my walk to class, knowing the bell was going to ring any second. But something continued to nag the back of my mind. Turning around, I walked back to the girls and narrowed my eyes at them. As always, they all turned to me and started swooning. I always hated that.

"What are you girls doing with Juvia?" I questioned, my hands shoved deep in my pockets.

One of the girls laughed and answered, "Oh nothing, Gray! Just hanging out with our friend! Isn't that right, Juvia?"

I watched Juvia fidget under their threatening glances as she shyly glanced at me. My heart thumped loudly at the sight of her blue eyes, but they were filled with such sadness it distracted from their beauty.

"Y-Yeah," she finally choked out.

I sighed and glared at the trio of girls. It was clear they were bullying her. I never liked bullies. So, I grabbed Juvia's hand and dragged her away from the other girls just as the bell rang. I was late. But it didn't matter as long as I helped her. I turned back to the confused girls and mustered a nasty glare.

"If you ever pick on Juvia again, just know I ain't afraid to hit a girl," I threatened. Of course it wasn't true, I wouldn't hit a girl. But hey, it worked as they were so scared they ran for their lives. I knew they would never pick on Juvia again.

"T-Thank you," Juvia said in a hushed tone.

I glanced down at her and shrugged. "Don't mention it. But you gotta stand up for yourself. Why were they picking on you anyways? You're in the group of most popular girls in school, I thought everyone liked you."

Juvia weakly laughed. "Juvia guesses that being popular doesn't always make people like her. And it's because Juvia speaks in third person. It's weird and different," she answered, tears creeping in her eyes. "Juvia has always been weird and different. Juvia thought that things were better after transferring here but they aren't. Juvia will always be weird and different."

I stopped in my tracks, tugging gently at the girl's wrist to stop her as well. I stared her in the eyes with complete seriousness.

"Yeah, you are weird and different," I said, noticing the pained look spread across her face. "But that ain't a bad thing."

Juvia looked up at me with bright eyes, eyes that filled my cold body with a warmth I've never felt before.

"Really?" she asked.

I grinned and nodded. "Definitely. Who wants to be the same as everyone else? Being different is what makes you interesting. Besides, I think it's cute you talk in third person."

Our cheeks blushed as I turned my face in an attempt to hide it. I expected Juvia to launch herself at me like always, but she never did. When I looked back at her, I saw her smiling and staring at the floor. It was then that I noticed how pretty she was.

"Thank you," she whispered, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"D-Don't mention it," I replied. I then noticed my hand still grabbing her wrist and retracted it quickly. I expected her to look offended or hurt, but instead she only smiled at me.

"Shall we go to class now?" Juvia asked.

I wordlessly nodded my head and followed her towards the classroom. I didn't know what was happening to me at all, but I knew that she was responsible. She was melting my frozen heart, something nobody had been able to do before. It terrified me. If I left my heart open, it would only lead to pain again. I couldn't deal with that. I couldn't deal with what Juvia was doing to me.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I nearly gasped as I saw Juvia and Gray enter the class together. They were late, which was rare for Juvia. But what was most surprising was that she walked in with _Gray._ Usually he always pushed her away or she was clinging to his arm. Instead, she entered the room with a confident smile- one that I had never seen on her face before. She wasn't attached to Gray or anyone else, she was her own person. I smiled at my friend, glad that she finally had some of the confidence she's been missing her whole life. I had to suppress a giggle seeing Gray watch over her throughout class. Something was definitely starting between the two and it was amazing.

I tried returning my attention to my notes but I couldn't concentrate. My mind just kept replaying the morning's event with my dad. I miss the old him. The one that would play with me and read me stories. The one that would protect me from harm and would tuck me into bed. The one that cared for me when I was sick. The one that loved me.

I gasped as I saw a drop land on my notebook and furiously scrubbed my face of the tears that escaped my eyes unknowingly. I lifted my head to make sure nobody saw me. Luckily none of my friends saw. If they did I would never hear the end of their concerned questions. My eyes kept scanning the room. So far so good. Until finally they landed on a pair of eyes in the opposite side of the room. Natsu.

I maintained eye contact with him for a while. Even from across the room I could see just how dark his eyes were. I couldn't help the embarrassed blush that crept to my face. He continued to stare at me and I could see pity in his eyes. I always hated that. Being pitied. I didn't need pity. Everything was going to be fine with me. I turned my head back to my notes, ignoring the pair of eyes I could feel watching me all day.

When lunch arrived, I excitedly rose from my seat to go to the vending machine when Erza's hand clamped over my shoulder and brought me back down.

"We have some matters to discuss," she said, glaring at the opposite side of the room.

I followed her gaze and saw that she was glaring at Jellal and the other boys. Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray listened as Jellal explained something I couldn't hear from my seat. Suddenly, Natsu's head whipped to face me and I squeaked in surprise. He gave me a toothed fang, sending warmth throughout my body- along with worry of what he was planning. Then, the four boys walked over to us with smirks on their faces.

"What's going on?" I asked as they took the empty seats around us and sat next to us.

"Get ready to go head to head, Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, confusing me even more.

"In order to determine the location of our fieldtrip, we're going to have a contest," Erza explained. "We are now going to go over the rules."

"Contest!?" Levy and I shrieked together.

The boys along with Erza nodded, causing me and my fellow bookworm to slouch in our seats.

"There will be five contests," Jellal announced. "Four of them will be one versus one while the last will be against the teams."

"What kind of contests are these?" Juvia asked. She was definitely taking it better than Levy and I.

"That's what we're deciding now," Jellal answered.

Erza glared at the boys and said, "They believe we won't be able to win because we're girls."

Now all of the girls gave the boys harsh glares, even Juvia.

"Is that so?" Levy asked, looking about ready to punch Gajeel in the face.

"If that's the case," I began, jabbing Natsu in the chest, "then you boys can choose all of the contests and we'll beat you in every single one!"

The boys smirked as Natsu grabbed my wrist and pulled my thumb off of his chest. Though his hold was firm, it still had a gentle touch that made my insides warm and fuzzy.

"Well, if you insist then I guess we'll choose!" he said mischievously. And with that I knew we were played.

"Don't worry though, it will be three out of five," Jellal added.

"For my competition," Gray began, "One of you will go against me in swimming!" A smirk danced on his face as he added, "I'm captain of the swim team after all."

All of the girls hid our smiles, knowing we got that win in the bag. After all, Juvia was a star swimmer, though nobody else knew it. She came too late for tryouts but damn could she swim. We found that out when we went to the beach and lost her, only to find out that she actually _swam_ to another island.

"Alright," Erza said, clearly hiding a grin. "Juvia will go against you."

Jellal smiled and said, "I would like a fencing competition."

Erza's eyes narrowed as she replied, "Then I will be the one to face you off." Turning to Gajeel, she asked, "What about you?"

The boy shrugged and answered, "Lifting. Whoever can bench press more weight wins."

Erza scowled seeing it was only me and Levy left. We weren't exactly the strongest people out there. "Well then Lucy-"

"Nope," Gajeel interrupted with a face-splitting grin. "I want the Shrimp."

Levy stared wide-eyed at the boy and pouted. I, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief. Lifting- or really any sport for that matter- was not my forte. My moment of relief quickly vanished though as I saw Natsu evilly grinning at me. But I wasn't going to give up. If the other girls were going to be brave and accept their fate, then I would too.

"Name it," I challenged.

Natsu's grin only grew as he replied, "Alright! Well then, let's have a simple soccer match!"

"Soccer?"

"Why not? I'm a fast runner, it should be easy! First to score three goals wins!"

I stuck my tongue out and swatted the boy's arm. "Well, I'm going to beat you!"

"That's the spirit, Luce! But you have no chance beating me!"

"Let's make our own bet then!" I shot back furiously.

A smirk graced Natsu's lips as he replied, "Deal! Loser has to take the winner out to dinner and pay for all of it!"

"Deal!"

We shook hands eagerly and I could swear I felt electricity jolt through my hand at the simple contact.

"What about the group contest?" Erza questioned.

"Do you really think you'll make it to the group contest?" Gajeel quipped. "We'll have you girls beat by the third match!"

"Don't be so sure about that, Gajeel!" Levy shot back!

Jellal nodded and added, "It would be wise not to underestimate them. For the team contest, we'll have a race with batons."

"Sounds simple enough," Erza replied. She hesitantly held her hand out to Jellal. "Let's shake on it then. Whoever wins gets to choose the destination of our fieldtrip. Deal?"

Jellal stared at Erza's outstretched hand with wide eyes. Grabbing it, he gave it a little shake and replied, "Deal."

There were ooh's and awes from the rest of the class as they listened to our agreement. And just like that, the matches were decided, leaving us all with anticipation of what was to come.

 **AN:** The contest is officially set up! :D Hope you all like it! :D And in case some of you are confused about the timeline, I'll discuss it the beginning on the next chapter haha! Please review! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** I was like Levy too for a long time honestly. I was very awkward with boys lmao. And they're cocky and way too intrigued by the girls to help it haha! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha thank you so much she's amazing isn't she? :D

 **Nalulove:** Oh I know, poor Lucy! D: But at least she's got great friends to make up for it. :')

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much as always! :D

 **Guest:** Haha I wouldn't say love yet, but he is definitely intrigued. ;) Thank you so much! :D

 **Xtreaer:** Waaah thank you so much means a lot to me. :') I find these kinds of stories much easier to write haha!

 **Lunahartz:** oh that sucks! And thanks sis! And hey I'm sure Cancers and Capricorns have great friendship compatibility! :D

 **Riverdrum:** Haha thank you so much! :D And I know Levy is so relatable that's why she's one of the best characters! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Umm I have no idea what the Elder Scrolls is haha explain!

 **Avhaskake:** Lmao my boyfriend and my sister are Taurus! We would get along well! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Yeah this is definitely going to be my longest nalu story for those that wanted a longer story haha! For those confused about the timeline, here it is!

Thu. was the start of the story, Fri. was when they made the contest. They have a little over a week to train and their first match is on Monday. On Thu. is Lucy's birthday and on the Fri. after that is the last day of their contest in which they tell Gildarts the winner. Hope that helped a bit!

Chapter 5

 _Lucy P.O.V._

Thirteen days. Thirteen days was how long we had until the end of our contest. It was decided during lunch that the first match between Gray and Juvia would be next Monday. Before then we would have a week's worth of time to train, which I'm sure Erza would be leading quite viciously. I couldn't blame her though. After all, I wanted to win too. The rainbow cherry blossom sakura tree was calling my name and I wasn't about to deny it. Not to mention the boys believing we couldn't win because we were girls. We had to destroy them because of that too.

Still, I wasn't excited for the harsh training sessions Erza had in store for us. I wish I was like Juvia. She was already exceptionally great at swimming, Erza wasn't going to coach her in that. Besides, it wasn't like she could anyways. Even Erza isn't in the same league of Juvia when it comes to water. That only left Levy and I at the mercy of the redhead's wrath, something which was surely bothering my fellow bookworm from the way she fidgeted in her seat. Why did I accept this contest again? Oh right, sakura tree. It better be the most beautiful damn tree I ever laid my eyes on with how hard I'm trying to see it.

Finally, the bell rang, freeing me from the endless boring lecture. Now it was time to go home and deal with my emotionless father. On second thought, maybe school isn't so bad. I sighed packing my things as quick as possible. Can't be late.

"Are you sure you'll be able to participate in this contest, Lucy?" Erza questioned, bringing me out of my constant negative thoughts.

I arched a brow and asked, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Erza frowned and hesitantly answered, "I am aware that your father doesn't like you coming home late. I don't want you getting in trouble for this, Lucy."

Feigning a smile, I ignored the anxiety I felt in my stomach realizing that she was right. My father would definitely throw a fit if he found out what I was doing. But it didn't matter. No, I had to enjoy my life to the fullest of my ability.

"I'll be fine," I lied. "I just have to lie to my dad and tell him I'll be tutoring people!"

"Are you sure you won't get in trouble?"

"Of course! There's no way he'll find out!"

"How can you be so sure?"

I sighed at Erza's stubborn persistence and answered, "My dad has never showed any interest in my school whatsoever as long as it's got money and a good reputation. He's never once been here before, I doubt he'll come just to check on me tutoring some people. Besides, I doubt he even knows the way here."

Erza eyed me, probably questioning me more in her head. Luckily, she only nodded and dropped the subject. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, I looped my arm into the strap of my book bag and hoisted the heavy thing over my shoulder. I waved goodbye to my friends and strutted down the hallways and out of the school. The big black gates were ahead of me and I rushed to get to Capricorn faster. Erza's questions took up a bit of time.

Just as I was about to cut the corner and towards my chauffer, a warm hand encircled my wrist and tugged me back. I yelped and fell straight on my butt, groaning and rubbing the soon-to-be bruised spot. Sporting a harsh glare, I turned to face the culprit. Just as I guessed, it was Natsu, who was standing in front of me with a wide, mischievous grin.

"What do you want, Natsu?" I asked as I dusted myself off. Glowering at the boy, I waited almost patiently for his response.

Which was cackling. Lots of it.

"Sorry, Luce!" he finally said after wiping tears from his eyes. I guess me falling on my butt is hilarious.

I kicked him harshly in the shin, smirking at his loud yelps of pain. "That's what you get, jerk."

Now he was the one glaring as he questioned, "How am I a jerk? You're the one that forgot about our plans!"

I arched a brow at the boy. Plans? What plans? And then it hit me.

"Wait, you were serious about that?" I asked jokingly. I was serious about them too considering I lied to my dad for them, even though I temporarily forgot.

"Of course I was! You said that if you hung out with me today I would have to leave you alone afterwards!" he answered.

"So after this you'll leave me alone?"

"Well, don't forget the contest."

"Okay then, after the contest you'll leave me alone?"

Natsu crossed his arms behind his head and smiled brightly at me. "Of course!"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him and sighed. One day with him wouldn't kill me. "Alright, where are we going?"

The boy grinned mischievously and answered, "The arcade!"

* * *

 _Jellal P.O.V._

School ended much faster than I would have liked. After all, school was my safe haven. It allowed me to interact with others without being under the watchful eyes of my foster parents. My foster parents aren't too terrible. In fact, they are astounding parents with their own kids. The only problem is that they are wary of me because of my past, which I don't blame them for. I would be wary too if I had an ex-drug dealer living in my house with my children.

Nonetheless, it does get tiring being under their surveillance. Thus, school is the one place I can come to where nobody knows who I am and live a normal life. Well, besides Erza. She knows all about me and my past, which is why she refused to look me in the eye unless she was glaring at me. Again, I don't blame her. Especially after what happened with Simon.

Packing my things in a neatly fashion, I quickly left the classroom and headed towards the Student Council room where I knew a certain redhead would be waiting for me with her usual scowl. It wasn't that I chose to come to this school. In fact, I wanted to go to Lamia Scale Academy just so I wouldn't pain Erza any longer. But in the end I was put here. And I'm actually quite glad.

I made great friends here. They don't question me and I don't question them. They treat me like anyone else in this school and for that I am beyond grateful to them. It also lets me see Erza nearly every day. With her intriguingly dark eyes and long mane of scarlet hair. The hair that I fell in love with.

I rounded the corner in the hallway and approached the classroom. As predicted, Erza was already in there waiting for me. Though instead of glaring at me, she was too busy scanning through a stack of papers. Her bangs curtained her face and I found myself enticed by the sheer concentration she had. Everything about her had me in a trance. Finally, she raised her head from the stack and our eyes met. Though this time she didn't glare, much to my surprise. Instead, she frowned and turned her attention back to the papers.

Smiling to myself, I entered the room and got to work. Though a frown may have been bad news to anyone else, to me it meant the world simply because it wasn't a nasty glare. That frown told me I was making progress. Progress towards being forgiven.

"Do you need help with anything?" I asked, looking for any opportunity I could get just to talk to her.

She looked up at me and I could tell she was thinking hard about something. In the end, she simply shook her head.

" _This is going to take a while."_

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

The walk to the arcade was awkward at first. Neither of us knew what to say and walked in silence for the most part. I wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. Thankfully, she spoke.

"Why do you wanna hang out with me so badly?" she asked, her brown eyes gazing at me curiously.

I grinned at her and shrugged. "Because you seem nice!"

She raised a brow and questioned, "That's it? Do you just force anyone that _seems_ nice to hang out with you?"

"Nah, just you."

"Why?"

"Because you're interesting."

Lucy crossed her arms and huffed in an admittedly cute way. "How am I interesting? All I did was yell at you for stealing my food."

I cackled and answered, "Exactly! You're a complete weirdo!"

The blonde then slapped my arm, though it didn't hurt at all. She then stuck her tongue out at me, to which I laughed at. Everything about her made me laugh for some reason. Annoying her was the best. She would give this pout that had me wanting to annoy her more and more.

"I've never been to an arcade before," Lucy stated. "Who would've thought I would spend my first time with some boy I just met?"

I gaped at the girl and questioned, "You've never been to an arcade before!?"

"Nope," she answered in a nonchalant manner.

"Well you're gonna love it! Let's go!"

I then grabbed her hand, which sent a strange warmth and tingly sensation throughout my body, and dragged her towards the arcade. She shouted at me to slow down or to let her go but that only made me laugh again.

" _This is gonna be a fun day!"_

Once we got to the arcade, I thrust the doors open and inhaled the murky air. I've gotten used to the smell long ago that now it was comforting. I glanced over to Lucy and saw that she was plugging her nose and scowling at the sight of the dirty building.

"You get used to it," I told her with a grin.

"I don't think I want to," she replied, clearly wary of taking another step inside.

I cackled and dragged her towards the cashier, Cobra. I didn't know the dude too well but he was cool. Sometimes we fought because I would spill food everywhere or get too loud. And man do I love a good fight.

"You again?" Cobra asked with a look of annoyance. He then eyed Lucy, who in turn inched behind me. I smirked at the feel of her hand nervously grabbing my arm.

"Yep! Gimme the usual!" I replied.

Cobra nodded and retrieved a plastic cup. Punching something into his cash register, he put the cup in its spot while coins spilled from a machine, filling it to the top. My eyes peeked to the girl next to me to find her looking amused with how the coins filled the cup and a smile crept onto my face.

"Who's the chick?" Cobra asked, bringing my attention back to him while he finished placing my usual order.

Lucy's brows furrowed as she stepped from behind me and stared the cashier down. Planting her hands on her hips, she answered, "The _chick_ is Lucy. And she doesn't like being referred to as the chick."

Cobra whistled and said, "Fiesty."

"I know," I replied, watching with amusement as Lucy huffed and took our cup, marching off towards one of the tables, leaving me to deal with Cobra.

"She your girlfriend?"

"Nah," I answered nonchalantly.

"Figures. She's out of your league."

I grinned and took my receipt, walking back to the blonde waiting for me. "Duh."

 _Lucy P.O.V._

Once I saw Natsu approach me, I felt a weird tingling in the pit of my stomach. It was a feeling I was trying to get used to. What was weird was that it only came around when I was with Natsu.

"Yo!" he said, standing beside me while I sat at a booth. "Let's go! It's time to play some games!"

I glanced around the room and shook my head. "I'll just watch. I've never played before so I won't be any good. And since you paid for the coins, I don't want to waste any of them."

Natsu gave me a small smile, which I had to admit was attractive. In fact, all of him was attractive. His toothy grin was adorable and his body was lean and chiseled to perfection. I hadn't seen him shirtless, but I was sure that he had abs.

"Don't worry about any of that!" he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I blushed realizing that I was ogling him and replied, "A-Are you sure?"

"Duh. I wouldn't bring you here just to watch me. I brought you here so that I could destroy you at some games."

My eyebrows furrowed as I narrowed my eyes at him and stood up. Jabbing him in his chest, I shot back, "You're on, Dragneel. I'm gonna wipe the floor with you!"

The boy smirked and questioned, "Wanna bet on it?"

"No way. We have enough bets going on."

"So why not add another? Unless you're _scared."_

"I'm not scared. Just worried I'll end up destroying you and you won't live up to your word."

Natsu stepped closer to me, causing my breath to hitch in my throat and my heart to stutter. He was right in front of me, allowing to feel his warm breath fanning my face.

"I always live up to my word," he said. "Name the bet."

Forcing myself to sit back down because my legs were turning to jelly, I looked away so he wouldn't see my blush.

"I-I don't know…" I stammered. "Hmm… Whoever wins the most games by the end of the day wins and loser takes the winner out to dessert after this?"

"So like our other bet?" he asked, to which I nodded. "I'm gonna bleed you dry of money at this rate, Luce!"

I scoffed and argued, "It's the other way around. Besides, even if I did lose it's not even possible for you to bleed me dry of my money."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say you'd have to win bets every day until we're old for that to happen."

Natsu smirked at me and stated, "Well then, looks like we'll have to make bets more often."

I smiled and replied, "You're gonna turn me into a gambler. Do you always make bets with people?"

"Nope, just you."

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked it! Poor Jellal, but at least he's making progress. :')

 **Lunahartz:** Not at all! Why!? Did somebody call you that!?

 **Alexa60765:** haha thank you! ;D It'll be a while before then. As you can see each day is like two chapters lmao it's a slow story.

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hahaha thank you I loved that part too!

 **SingingAngel327:** When it happens, it'll happen. :) And haha thank you so much! :D

 **Nalulove:** Oh shit you're right lmao my bad! How could I forget lol.

 **Avhaskake:** Noooo! I update Mondays and Thursdays! :)

 **Katiekat2001:** Don't worry about it I know we all get busy sometimes! :) And thanks for another review! :D

 **Daige:** We'll see! ;D

 **Riverdrum:** Gray is such a cinnamon roll! And thank you so much! :)

 **M.B.A786:** It's okay thanks for reviewing this chapter. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** This story is by far my slowest but I actually love it a lot more than I thought I would. :')

Chapter 6

 _Lucy P.O.V._

After we made our bet, we quickly walked to the games, Natsu dragging me with a gentle hold on my wrist, sending warmth trailing through my body from the spot. Our first stop was a skee ball machine. I've never played but I always watched characters from romance movies play when they go on dates. Was that what this was? A date?

I turned to look at Natsu while he put a coin in both of our machines. He had such a carefree smile, the epitome of freedom. It was a smile that was enchanting, one that I wished I could have. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back on the game.

" _Nah, this isn't a date."_

Balls then rolled down the slot, clanking once they stopped at the wall. I watched as Natsu picked one of his up and turned to me with his signature toothy grin.

"All you have to do is roll it into one of those cup things," he informed me. "The ones in the corners give the most points but they're harder to get because of where they are and because the balls barely fit in them."

"So it's kinda like bowling, right?" I questioned.

Natsu stared at me quizzically and asked, "How is this like bowling?"

"Because you roll a ball!"

Natsu shrugged and grinned at me. "Then I guess it's like bowling if you consider anything with a rolling ball like bowling."

"Shut up," I muttered, though the smile on my face betrayed my words. Grabbing a ball of my own, I aimed it for the one in the corner, drew my arm back, and thrust it forward, releasing the ball. It rolled slowly and didn't even get up the ramp, rolling back down to me. I blushed in embarrassment as I picked it back up.

Natsu cackled, causing me to flush even more as I slapped his arm.

"Don't laugh!" I shouted.

The boy only laughed more, clutching his stomach as he bent over. "Sorry, Luce! It's just funny that you said you were gonna wipe the floor with me and couldn't even make it up the ramp!"

"Argh, shut up!"

With that, I turned my attention back to the game in front of me. I rolled my ball again, though this time harder. This time the ball went too fast and bumped into the back wall, falling into the slot that doesn't give a good amount of points seeing as how it was the default slot. Growling to myself, I tried again, and this time it went into the twenty slot, giving me twenty points. I smiled brightly and tried again. This time it went in the fifty slot. I literally jumped in excitement and squealed, clasping my hands together.

I heard a chuckle coming beside me and saw Natsu studying me with a small smile. I blushed and found the corners of my lips twitching upwards as well. I didn't want to admit it, but being around Natsu was fun. I was experiencing new things and having more fun than I had in years.

I began playing my game again, ready for the last ball. During my game, I began to do much better. I played it safe rather than going for the corner slots and my points added up quickly, but with the last ball in my hand, I decided to risk it. Angling myself towards the corners, I rolled the ball with just enough force that it actually went into the cup, much to my surprise.

"Natsu, did you see that!?" I shouted, jumping once more with joy. I was so caught up in the moment I grabbed his hand and pointed towards the cup. "I made it in the hundred slot!" I began shaking his hand profusely.

Natsu in turn looked at me with an expression of shock at first. I could see a light pink dusting his cheeks, but he quickly ducked his head into his scarf to hide it. After a few seconds, he brought his head back up and grinned at me.

"Good job, Luce!" he congratulated, ruffling my hair.

I giggled, for once not minding the motion. "What did you get?" I then looked at his score and gaped. "You got a thousand points!? But there were only ten balls! That means that…"

"Yep!" Natsu said, smirking at me. "I rolled it into the hundred slot each time!"

"H-How did you-"

"Skill, Luce. Skill. Don't worry, I can beat you at the other games if you're too discouraged to play this one again."

"Shut up! Let's play that game!"

Natsu's eyes followed my pointed finger and questioned, "You wanna play a racing game?"

"What? Scared you're gonna lose?" I challenged with a smirk.

Natsu returned the smirk and grabbed my hand, leading me to the game. My heart pounded loudly under my chest at the feeling of Natsu's hand holding mine again. Once we got to the game, he released my hand, causing it to feel much colder than before. I found myself frowning at the thought and shook my head, ready to play the game.

" _Get it together, Lucy."_

* * *

 _Gajeel P.O.V._

All I wanted was a day like the rest. I wanted to go to school, pull a prank on Natsu, fight Natsu afterwards, and go home to work on my project. Maybe I would even kick the other boys' asses on Xbox for a little bit. But instead, I got stuck walking home with some girl I just met the other day.

I ain't got a grudge towards girls or anything, I just don't like bein' around them as much. They're too sensitive for me, always cryin' and complaining. The only one I could really handle was Erza, but that was only because she was more like a demon than a girl. But this shrimp next to me was strange.

She's crazy short and has a look of pure innocence. I was sure that she would be a crying wimp like the rest of the girls in our class. But once I complained about Bunny Girl's idea for our fieldtrip, I learned that she wasn't like her appearance. She actually _yelled_ at me. I figured it was a onetime thing for insulting her friend, but then she went and did it again because I refused her help.

She was snarky.

And I found myself interested.

So in the end I accepted her offer of being tutored, not thinking too much of it. I figured she would back down and forget, but she didn't. So now I'm stuck walking this chick back to my place. I don't know why I wanted to go up against her so badly in our competition. If anything, going against Erza would've been much more entertaining because she would've actually had a chance. Even going against Juvia would've been interesting since she was my first friend- though I doubt she remembers that. Either way, they would've made much better opponents.

And yet when it was down to Bunny Girl and Shrimp, I couldn't help but choose her. Surely Bunny Girl was stronger, but I just wanted to go against Shrimp. Something about her amused me. Probably the fact that she's so short yet acts like she's a buff giant with her attitude.

"Gajeel?" I heard called out in a much too innocent voice to be talking to me.

"What?" I shot back a bit colder than I intended.

I expected her to start crying or something but instead she only grinned at me.

"You were zoning out, I was worried we weren't even headed in the right direction anymore," she answered.

"I know where I'm going," I mumbled, stopping just outside an apartment complex. "See?"

I watched as Shrimp craned her small head to take in the full look of the place. I expected her to comment something like _oh it's bigger and cleaner than I thought_ or _I figured you lived in a crack house._ In the end, she simply looked back at me, waiting for me to lead her inside.

I walked up the stairs and stopped just outside of my unit. Pulling out a key, I quickly unlocked it and led the way inside. I stared back at the girl, waiting for her reaction.

"Wow, this place is huge!" she exclaimed. "This apartment is bigger than my house!"

"Seriously?" I asked. I knew my apartment was bigger than most, but I wasn't expecting it to be bigger than a house.

"Yep!" she replied. "My house isn't as big as other houses. There's only three of us anyways. You should see Lu-chan's-"

"Why would I wanna see Bunny Girl's house?"

"Because it's huge! It's not even a house, it's a mansion."

"You're kidding."

"Not at all! Anyways, why don't you give me a tour?"

I huffed and crossed my arms. "There's no need to be doin' that. Just tutor me and go."

The girl then looked at me and glared. "I'm not tutoring you until I get a tour!"

"Fine!" I shouted, quickly losing my patience. "This is the living room. Don't touch anything." I walked throughout the place, talking as I did. "This is the old hag's room, don't go in or touch anything. This is my mechanics room. Don't touch anything. And this is my room. Don't touch anything."

"Sheesh, I'm not going to touch anything!" she shouted.

We were just outside of my room, the door was closed. I walked past Shrimp to go back to the living room to study, expecting her to follow me. But she didn't. Instead, she opened the door to my room and let herself in.

"So this is your room?" she awed. "There's so many posters! I can see you like ACDC."

"Got a problem with that?" I questioned, irritated that she felt comfortable walking into my room. I never let anyone in here, even the guys. I could've easily stopped her, but I didn't. I must've been going soft.

"Not at all," she answered, smiling at me. "Wow, you have a guitar! Do you play?"

"Why else would I have one?"

"Stop being so sarcastic!"

I laughed and nodded my head. "Yeah, I play. I write songs too."

"You do!?" she asked, gaping at me in amazement.

My cheeks gained warmth from the innocent look she was giving me. Her eyes were wide and she had such a bright, eager smile. One that shouldn't have been used for someone like me.

"Y-Yeah," I finally answered, inwardly cursing myself for stuttering.

"I wanna hear it! Can you play one for me?"

"No."

A look of disappointment spread across her face. I fidgeted in my spot, uncomfortable with the sad expression.

Inwardly cursing myself, I went against my better judgement and said, "My album ain't finished yet. That's why I can't play for you."

Shrimp smiled again, causing some weird warmth to spread from my cheeks to my stomach.

"Well then when you finish it! Deal?"

I didn't know what to say. All I wanted was some tutoring lessons so that I could be in the same grade as my friends. I didn't want this. Whatever _this_ was. I didn't want a new friend. And yet, I could only nod.

"Fine."

Shrimp smiled at me and sat herself on my bed. "Alright, then let's get studying!"

"S-Shouldn't we be doing this in the living room?" I asked, feeling weird seeing her on my bed. I was uncomfortable with the thought of sitting on the same bed as someone innocent looking like her.

But Shrimp only shrugged and answered, "Nah, it's comfier in here. And studies show that if you study in a place you're most familiar with, you'll do better."

Swallowing thickly, I nodded and sat next to her, my heart stopping when she scooted closer to me.

" _Let's get this over with."_

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After our game of skee ball- which I destroyed Lucy in- she chose a racing game for us to play. These kind of games weren't my thing but it seemed simple enough. All you had to do was push down on the accelerator and steer, how hard could it be?

Once both of us sat in our seats, I grinned at Lucy and put the coins in our machines. After that, we were able to customize our cars and choose which one was the best based on its features. I chose a red sports car with flames on the sides. Its only ability was its speed, which was the fastest out of all the other cars, specifically why I chose it.

I glanced over to Lucy and watched as she skimmed through the different options of vehicles. Her chocolate brown eyes lit up at the sight of a girly pink car. It only had two bars out of five for speed, meaning that I was going to beat her in this game too.

"You chose a terrible car," I informed her with a smirk after she confirmed her choice.

She faced me with a confused expression and replied, "No I didn't. It has great traction and decent speed!" She then glanced at my screen and said, "You're the one that chose the terrible car."

"No I didn't!" I denied. "This was the fastest car!"

"Yeah but it doesn't have anything going for it but speed. You'll see."

The countdown for the race finally began as I turned my attention back to my screen. Right when the checkered flags appeared, signaling the race had begun, I pushed the accelerator to the floor, forcing my car to go its maximum speed. And with that, I was already a good heads away from Lucy. My stomach began to churn and I could feel my head getting dizzy.

"Oh… Shit…" I gurgled, slouching over and letting my head rest on the wheel. I glanced up at my screen and watched my car run straight into a wall. "Must… beat… you…" Forcibly lifting my arms up to the wheel, I steered away from the wall and went full speed once again… only to lose traction at the turn and go spinning into another wall.

"Told you!" Lucy shouted, followed by her loud giggles. "What's wrong with you anyways? Did you eat something bad earlier or something? Eww, your face is all green!"

"Shut… up…" I mumbled. I had no choice but to slip out of the seat and lay on the carpeted floor below, not caring about the crumbs and stains I was laying on. "I have motion… sickness…"

"E-Ehh!?" Lucy exclaimed. "First of all, that's such a lame sickness to have! Second of all, how the hell do you get it from playing a video game? You aren't even in the car!"

"Don't ask me… I'm not a doctor…"

"You're pathetic."

I laid on the floor, my stomach slowly starting to settle. Luckily I made it without puking. I'm sure Lucy would've killed me if I threw up in front of her. I then heard a whistle from the game, meaning that it had ended.

"Looks like I win that game," Lucy smugly announced, standing over my body.

I tilted my head up and immediately blood rushed to my cheeks and other certain parts of my body. Deciding to get her back for making fun of my motion sickness, I waited a few moments longer before saying, "I can see up your skirt, Luce."

She turned a bright red before clutching her skirt and kicking me straight in the head.

"PERVERT!"

After our long day of playing games, we gathered our tickets and went over to Cobra, ready to collect some prizes. There were a bunch of toys and stuffed animals, though those cost more tickets. I usually spend all of my tickets on a shit ton of candy and a small toy for Happy.

"Waaa, that's so cute!" I heard Lucy exclaim.

A smile forced itself onto my face while I turned to see what she was so excited about, yet I didn't find anything special at all. I followed her gaze and found she was fawning over a weird snowman plush.

"You think that thing's cute?" I asked, scratching my head.

"You don't?" she questioned in return. "It's such a cute dog!"

"Dog? Luce, you needa get your eyes checked because that isn't a dog."

"What are you talking about? Yes it is!"

"No it isn't! That's definitely a snowman!"

"It's a dog!"

"Snowman!"

"Will you two shut up already and choose a damn prize? You're making my job more troublesome than it already is!" Cobra barked, obviously losing patience with us.

I looked at our receipt telling us how many tickets we had and saw we had just enough for the plush and a piece of candy.

"Can I get the snowman?" I asked with a wide grin. I could see Lucy glance at me from the corner of my eye. She was shocked but then smiled as she grabbed the plush.

"Thanks, Natsu!" she exclaimed, hugging it tightly against her.

I absentmindedly smiled as I took in her appearance. Her golden hair was messier from me ruffling it and her face was a bit flushed from the heat of the arcade. What was most mesmerizing was her smile. I've never seen her with such a bright, happy smile at school, even when she's with her friends. And yet _I_ managed to make her smile like that.

I could feel my cheeks heating up and ducked my head into my scarf to hide it. My body had been doing weird things lately and I didn't want Lucy- or anyone for that matter- to see.

Once we left the arcade, I saw Lucy shaking as if we were in the middle of an earthquake. We spent a lot longer than I expected in the arcade. Now it was dark and chilly.

"Something wrong with you?" I questioned, raising a brow.

Lucy's teeth chattered as she answered, "I-I'm a bit c-cold."

Sighing, I brought my hands up to my neck and unraveled the thick scarf around it. This scarf meant everything to me as it was the only thing I had to remember my dad by. It was a gift from him when I was a kid and I never took it off, getting in trouble at school because it was a violation of the dress code or something. It was the most important thing in the world to me and yet I didn't hesitate to give it to the girl beside me.

"Ehh?" Lucy squealed once I wrapped it around her neck gently, making sure it wasn't too tight to choke her. "W-Why are you giving me this?"

"Because you're cold," I answered, shoving my hands deep in my pockets. I felt bare without my scarf, as if the world was going to attack me without it.

"T-Thanks."

"Don't mention it." We walked in an uncomfortable silence until something important popped into my mind and I smirked. "Oi, looks like you're taking me out to dessert, Luce!"

"Huh?"

"I won more games than you! I want ice cream and I know just the place!"

Lucy groaned as I grabbed her hand and dragged her throughout Magnolia. I cackled after she almost tripped- I caught her before she hit the ground of course. Finally, we stood outside of Freezies, the most well-known ice cream parlor in the city.

"I've never been here before," Lucy informed me, staring at the building in awe. "Is it good?"

"You don't get out much, do you Lucy?" I asked with a raised brow. She looked at me and opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but closed it and averted her gaze. "And yeah, this place is good. Which is surprising since Ice Pick works here."

"Ice Pick? You mean Gray?"

"Who else would I be talking about? Do you know any other Ice Picks?"

"Oh shut up," Lucy said, taking my wrist and dragging me inside. "You really should be nicer to Gray. He seems like a nice guy."

"That's because I am a nice guy," an all-too familiar voice called out from behind the cash register. I scowled seeing it was Gray, staring at us with wide yet droopy eyes. "Natsu? And Lucy? What are you two doing here… together? Are you guys a couple or something?" I saw Gray's eyes land on my scarf wrapped around Lucy's neck. His eyes grew wide and looked at me questioningly, but I only looked away.

"N-No way!" Lucy denied, waving her arms around like a lunatic. "I'm just treating him to ice cream because he beat me at games in the arcade!"

"So you two were on a date at the arcade?"

"Shut up, Ice Princess," I growled, dragging Lucy up to the ice cream. "Just give me the usual."

Gray nodded and turned to Lucy. "What about you?"

But Lucy was too enticed by the various ice cream flavors, each varying in color, to hear Gray's question. Her eyes lit up the same way they were when we looked at the prizes, or when the coins came out of their dispenser. Why did everything amaze her so much?

"I'll have birthday cake ice cream! Waffle cone, please!" she finally said with a bright smile.

Gray nodded and got a waffle cone, starting with Lucy's order. He picked up a wet scooper from its container and effortlessly scooped a ball of the rainbow ice cream and put it in the cone.

"Since you're with Natsu I'll give you an extra scoop," he said, smiling at Lucy. For some reason that ticked me off.

"Thanks!" Lucy exclaimed, tilting her head to the side admittedly cutely as she smiled.

Gray nodded and handed the girl her ice cream, now ready to start on mine. Using the same scooper, he got mini scoops of each ice cream flavor and stacked them atop each other. I cackled watching Lucy's face contort with worry as it looked like it was going to tip over. He then dumped a bunch of pepper flakes he kept in a drawer specifically from me- which came from the pizza shop down the street- onto my ice cream.

"That's disgusting," Lucy muttered.

"Don't knock it till you try it," I chided with a smirk, holding my cone out to her.

"No thanks. I'm good with mine."

I watched as she hesitantly licked the ice cream and once again, her face lit up. I knew Freezies' ice cream was good, but it wasn't _that_ good.

"Wah, it's been so long since I've had ice cream!" Lucy exclaimed, licking the dessert much quicker.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Why not? Are you lactose intolerant or something?"

"Nope. Let's sit down now! Thanks, Gray!"

As we sat at my usual booth at the nearly deserted ice cream parlor, I stared at Lucy while she munched on her ice cream. There were so many strange, yet interesting things about her. She didn't go to the most popular places in town, she didn't eat ice cream much, and everything amazed her. I had so much to learn about her.

Once we finished eating and saying goodbye to Gray, we strolled through the streets of Magnolia, Lucy leading the way. Finally, we stopped on a nearly empty road on a hill overlooking the ocean.

"Alright, Natsu," Lucy began with a sigh, "I think it's time I go home now."

"Already?" I asked, disappointment coursing through my veins. "It's only eight o'clock!"

"That's already much later than I should be out," she replied. I could tell she was nervous by the way she bit her lower lip and furrowed her brows. I could only wonder what she was so worried about.

"Alright, I'll walk you home then," I told her with a smile.

To which she looked absolutely mortified. Was I that bad of company?

"No!" she shouted. "S-Sorry… It's just that… No thank you. I'll have somebody pick me up."

"Are you okay? Did I do something?"

"Not at all! I had a really great time… In fact, let's do this again sometime! Is that alright with you?"

I grinned widely and nodded my head. "Duh! Told you, you wouldn't wanna stop hanging out with me!"

"Oh shut up," she replied, smiling at me. "You can go home now. I texted someone and they're on their way."

"Oi, I'm not about to just leave you here at night."

"What a gentleman!" she teased. "But seriously, don't worry about it. Just go home."

"No way."

"Please, Natsu."

I could hear the sheer desperation in her voice as her eyebrows drooped, dampening the light mood from before. Nodding my head, I grinned at the girl.

"Alright if you insist," I said. "Later, Lucy!"

"Goodnight, Natsu," she replied with a small smile.

I waved and ran off and as soon as Lucy looked back the other way, I hid behind a building to watch her. What? As if I could just leave her there all alone in the dark! About ten minutes later, a limousine rolled up to her. My eyes widened as Lucy got into the fancy car and it drove away.

" _Lucy's rich?"_

Yep, I definitely had a _lot_ to learn about Lucy.

 **AN:** What a long chapter! :D Haha hope you guys liked it as much as I did! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** You'll find out about Jellal, Erza, and Simon eventually, I promise. ;D

 **Riverdrum:** Ahh their little outing was cute. :') Thank you! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you so much I'm glad! :D

 **Avhaskake:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! And because cliffys are hilarious! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Oh okay I'm glad! Well no, I don't think you are. :)

 **Katiesmo:** Thank you so much. :)

 **Nalulove:** Oh yeah it'll be a while hahaah!

 **Alexa60765:** Guess you'll just have to find out. ;D

 **Twolanterns:** Ahh! I just noticed you reviewed my other stories too. :') Means so much. :D Thank you! :'D

 **IndianaCombs:** Ahh thank you for all the reviews! :D Glad you're all caught up now! And there are no arcades by you!? That's so sad! I LOVE arcades lmao.

 **Guest:** Oh I'm so glad my story helped you feel better. :) My days have been like that too tbh but writing helps!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Hello again! :D And she lost this bet, but the real contest is still up for grabs. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** If I had to rate my stories on which ones I liked best, it would go New Beginnings, War, Family, Better Together, and lastly The Flaming Key haha! I really like this story so far it's really fun to write! :)

Chapter 7

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I woke up Monday morning and stretched my arms above my head, enjoying the pleasure I felt after my bones popped. I was about to get out of bed when I saw the dog plush Natsu gave me the night before. Smiling at it, I brought it up to my chest and hugged it tightly against my chest. It was soft and cute, standing out in my regal and much too fancy bedroom.

Once I got dressed and ready for school, one of my beloved friends, Virgo- who was also a maid- informed me that my father would like to speak to me in his office. My heart practically stopped, terrified that I was going to be scolded for being out so late on Friday when I was with Natsu. I got out of punishment then because my father went on a sudden business trip, but there was no avoiding it now.

My stomach churned as I knocked on the mahogany door to my dad's study. After hearing his stern call telling me to enter, I swallowed thickly and turned the golden knob and hesitantly opened the door.

"You wanted to see me, Papa?" I asked, my stomach practically doing flips. I could tell my hands were getting clammy and I wiped them onto my skirt.

Jude raised his head from his work and studied me.

"You came home late Friday night, Lucy," he said, folding his hands together and resting his chin atop of them.

"Y-Yes, I was tutoring people, as I told you," I lied, fighting the urge to fidget.

"Ahh yes. How was that?"

My eyes widened. Was he actually trying to talk to me? Not wanting to get my hopes up, I refused to let the corners of my lips twitch upwards into a naïve smile.

"It was fine," I answered. That was when it hit me. Lying to my dad was beyond easy. He knew nothing of my school and would never take time away from his work to call and check up on me. I could lie more. "In fact, I was asked to come in after school every day."

"Every day?" he questioned with narrow eyes. "I do not want you wasting time every day doing that."

"Y-Yes, I understand but…" I replied, thinking of another lie to use. "My teacher told me that this will look incredible on my resume and college applications. He said that it shows leadership qualities and academic superiority."

"And what school did your teacher attend?"

"Umm… H-Harvard," I fibbed again. I was on a roll. "I believe it would be wise if I continued tutoring my peers."

My father eyed me for a few moments before nodding. "Alright. I will allow it."

I suppressed a victory grin and questioned, "Is that all, father?"

"Actually, no. I have something else important to discuss with you."

Raising a brow, I wondered what it could be. We talked more that morning than we had in so long, it was strange for him to want to talk to me more.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is about your future."

"You mean like college?"

"No. Marriage."

My eyes widened and my breath hitched in my throat. "W-What are you talking about?"

"You are seventeen, correct?"

"A-Actually, my birthday is in two weeks… I'll be turning seventeen then…"

"Ahh, oh well. Either way, I want you to be wed on your eighteenth birthday. Which means that it is time to start looking for suitors."

I argued with my father a lot. Usually it would be about his prejudices of those in the lower class. Other times I let things slide, hoping that things would go back to how they used to be, thinking that one day my dad will go back to how he was before Mama died. But now I knew that would never happen and this was not something I could just let slide.

"No," I said, balling my hands into fists. "I'm not letting you choose who I marry! I will marry for love and only love!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Lucy!" Jude shouted, rising from his seat. "Love is nothing but a fairy tale! You will marry a man of my choosing and produce an heir to the company!"

"I won't!" I shouted, tears filling my eyes. "And how can you tell me love is just a fairy tale? Did you not love Mama?"

"I did and look where that got me. Stuck with an ungrateful brat."

My jaw dropped on its hinges as the tears I had been trying to fight against slid down my cheeks. My fists went numb and my hands unclenched, my arms feeling like dead weight. Turning around, I marched towards the door of my father's study, ignoring his shouts.

Before I left the room, I told him one last thing, "I will not be wed on my eighteenth birthday and I sure as hell am not meeting any suitors of yours."

With that, I led the way to the limousine, Capricorn following closely behind. I was so enraged. What kind of father just marries his daughter off to the highest bidder for the company? What kind of father doesn't love their own daughter? I wanted to run away but images of my friends popped into my head, along with Natsu. No, I couldn't run away. I could never leave the people so precious to me, even if that meant I had to live with the coldest man on the planet.

Wiping the tears from my face and muttering a thanks to Capricorn, I walked into the classroom and plopped onto my seat. I realized I left much too early as there were still thirty minutes before class started. Surprisingly, none of my friends, not even Levy, were here yet. Well, Gray was there. We weren't that close but I knew he was a nice guy.

Thoughts of what happened continued to play in my head and like before, I couldn't fight against the tears. My bottom lip quivered and my body shook as I silently cried. That was a talent of mine, crying without making a sound. I perfected it after my mother's death. But it turned out I didn't need to make a noise for somebody to notice as I heard a chair being pulled beside me. I turned to find Gray sitting next to me with a concerned expression.

"G-Gray," I said, trying to wipe away my tears, but they just kept coming. Giving up, I buried my head into my hands and sobbed, not caring how pathetic I must have looked.

"W-What's wrong?" the boy asked, clearly uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. I wondered if he ever comforted a crying girl before. From the looks of it, he hadn't.

I only sobbed louder, my body shaking from the tears. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that I was being forced to grow up faster than those around me. It wasn't fair that I had to lie to hang out with my friends. It wasn't fair that my mother died and it wasn't fair that all she left me was an unloving father. It just wasn't fair.

Suddenly, I was brought into a cold side-hug, both awkward and uncomfortable. Gray definitely was not warm like Natsu and instead had an icy touch. Leaning more into the embrace, I continued to cry, though I felt much better. Eventually, my sobs turned to sniffles and my sniffles turned to hiccups. And after that, I was back to normal, save for my puffy eyes and red nose.

"Thanks," I muttered, wiping away the stray tears that had yet to dry.

"Don't mention it," Gray replied, smiling gently at me. "Natsu would kill me if I just let his girlfriend cry."

"I'm not his girlfriend," I argued, though it lacked enthusiasm seeing as how I was too tired to deal with it.

"Whatever you say. Hey, can I ask why you were crying?"

Biting my lower lip, I shook my head and answered, "I'm sorry. I really don't wanna talk about it."

Thankfully, Gray smiled back at me and nodded. "I understand. We've all got things we don't wanna talk about."

"You do too?"

"Who doesn't?"

"I don't know, you just always look so unfazed by everything."

The boy chuckled and replied, "Don't tell anyone, but I've spent my fair share of days crying. You seem to be going through yours recently."

"Is it that obvious?" I sighed.

"Oh yeah. That's why Natsu is always trying to cheer you up."

My eyes widened and I asked, "He is?"

Gray smirked and arched a brow. "You haven't noticed?"

"I-I don't know, we just met."

"I know, but he's already attached to you."

My cheeks flushed as I shook my head. There was no way Natsu was attached to me, and if he was, it certainly wasn't in the way I first thought when Gray said that. The _romantic_ way.

"Whatever," I said, letting my heavy head rest on Gray's willing shoulder. "So why are you here so early?"

Gray shrugged and answered, "I can't be late again after what happened Friday. I got out of it last time, but Sensei told me not to let it happen again."

"You were late because you helped Juvia, right?"

Gray's cheeks tinted pink and I giggled.

Yep, Gray was definitely a kind person. One that I could trust with Juvia's sensitive heart.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After Happy woke me up way before my alarm was supposed to ring, I decided to head over to school with a bottle of clear glue in my backpack. I may not have done my homework, but at least I had this ready. After Gajeel poured glue on my seat last Friday, I made sure I would get revenge.

A mischievous grin danced on my face as I walked excitedly throughout the halls. Finally approaching my classroom, I snickered, ready to get my revenge. But when I stepped inside, I immediately stopped in my tracks with wide eyes. Scowling, I watched as Gray wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulder. Why was she leaning her head on him? And why was he wrapping an arm around her? I didn't know but I sure as hell was going to find out.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant but my voice came out rough and vicious.

Lucy immediately jerked her head up and stared at me with her big, brown eyes. Gray on the other hand scooted away from her and sighed. He must've known I was going to kick his ass later.

"Natsu!" Lucy greeted, smiling at me.

I ignored her and repeated, "What were you two doing?"

"Cool it, Ash for Brains," Gray said, removing his tie. "I was just cheering Lucy up."

"Cheering Lucy up?" I repeated. I then turned to Lucy and asked, "You were sad?"

Lucy laughed awkwardly and waved her hand at me. "Don't worry about it, I'm alright now, really!"

"Why were you upset?"

Lucy frowned and answered, "I don't wanna talk about it, Natsu."

I frowned as well and asked, "Did you tell Gray?"

The blonde looked at me with widened eyes and then smiled as if realizing something. "No, I didn't tell Gray."

I looked between the two once more before shaking my head and grinning at Lucy. "Good!" I then walked over beside the girl, pushed Gray out of his seat, and took his spot, ignoring his shouts.

"Jackass," he muttered, though instead of starting a fight like I expected he went back to his desk.

"How was your weekend?" Lucy asked me, bringing my focus back onto her.

I shrugged and answered, "Pretty boring. All I did was play Xbox with the guys. What about you?"

Lucy smiled and answered, "I didn't do anything fun either over the weekend. It was so boring!"

"You and I should hang out on the weekends then!" I suggested with a cheeky grin. "I could beat you some more at the arcade!"

I noticed a slight look of panic sweep over Lucy's face as she replied, "I-I can't, I'm really busy on the weekends."

"But you just said that you were bored," I reminded her.

"I-I know, but still busy!"

"You're a terrible liar, Luce!" I pouted, crossing my arms.

Much to my amusement, she slapped my arm like she usually does and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Point is, I can't hang out on the weekend! B-But I can text…"

"Is Lucy Heartfilia, one of the most popular girls in school, asking for my number?" I teased, feigning shock. I laughed once she hit me again. "Here, give me your phone, I'll put my number in."

Once that was taken care of, Lucy and I joked about all of our bets and who would win our contest. I didn't know why, but things felt so natural when I was with her, like I had known her my whole life. I barely knew her and yet I knew I never wanted to go back to when she wasn't in my life.

* * *

 _Juvia P.O.V._

Juvia hummed as she walked through the halls, a skip in Juvia's step. Juvia had never felt happier before in her life and it was all because her lovely Gray-sama had helped her find some confidence. Juvia's head was lifted a little higher that day as she ignored the bullies that used to taunt and torment her behind her friends' backs. Nothing could bring Juvia down. Or so Juvia thought.

Once Juvia entered the classroom, she immediately made eye contact with her lovely Gray-sama and swooned internally. Juvia was trying to play it cool after Lucy advised it over the weekend but it was hard. He was just so handsome and perfect in every way, Juvia just wanted to cling onto him forever! To Juvia's dismay, Gray-sama looked away and stared out the window, clearly avoiding any more eye contact with Juvia.

Sighing, Juvia took her seat and pulled out her school supplies. Erza wasn't in the classroom yet, so Juvia turned around with the hope of talking to Lucy and Levy, only to find Natsu in Levy's seat talking to Lucy. Lucy didn't even notice Juvia turn around because she was so focused on the strange boy! They talked with such familiarity, Juvia felt envious. She wished she could talk to her lovely Gray-sama like that, but sadly he was hot and cold, his feelings ever-changing.

Once Levy walked into the classroom, Juvia gasped as she saw Gajeel enter closely behind. Apparently Juvia wasn't the only one that noticed because she heard Lucy gasp as well. Juvia could see that Levy's face was a bright red, redder than a tomato. Even Gajeel's cheeks were tinted a light pink. Juvia made eye contact with Gajeel for a couple of seconds before he looked away and went to his seat near Gray-sama.

Juvia then turned to find Natsu pouting and getting out of Levy's seat, probably upset that he couldn't talk to Lucy anymore. There was definitely something between the two and Juvia was rooting for them.

Finally, Erza and Jellal entered, though they didn't have any look of familiarity. Being a self-proclaimed love expert, Juvia could tell right away that Jellal was in love with Erza. It was plain as day. What was also clear was that Erza loved him back. However, there was a dark cloud between them, though Juvia didn't know why and knew not to question it. Erza could get quite scary after all.

Juvia groaned and laid her head on her desk. All of her friends were quickly finding love with boys that were perfect for them- though they didn't know it yet for the most part- and yet Juvia couldn't even get Gray-sama to look at her for more than three seconds! Just then, Sensei walked in, signaling the start of class, forcing Juvia to bring her head back up.

"Alright class," he began, "we're going to be starting a project today. There'll be pairs that _I_ am choosing right now."

Hope sprouted in Juvia's belly, hoping that she would be paired with Gray-sama. Juvia listened as name after name was called off. None of her friends nor Gray-sama had been called yet, giving Juvia better chances to be paired with Gray-sama. Sensei's gaze landed on Juvia and Juvia's heart pounded with excitement, ready to hear her partner.

"Juvia, you'll go with…" Sensei began, glancing at the remaining students. "You'll go with G-"

"YAY!" Juvia exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and clasping her hands together. Juvia's efforts of playing it cool immediately ran through the drain but it didn't matter so long as she was paired with her lovely Gray-sama.

Sensei smiled at Juvia and replied, "I'm glad you're so excited to be working with Gajeel! He could use an excited partner like you!"

Juvia's jaw dropped as her heart was crushed into a million pieces. Gajeel? Sure, Gajeel wasn't a bad person at all, especially to Juvia, but she wanted to work with _Gray-sama._ Sitting back down, Juvia felt a reassuring hand rest on her shoulder. Turning, Juvia saw Levy smiling at her, telling her it was going to be alright. After all, Juvia was sure Levy wanted to work with Gajeel, no matter how much she would deny it. Instead of complaining- though Juvia really wanted to- Juvia decided to listen to Sensei pair the rest of the class together.

"Levy, you'll be with Jellal," Sensei said. "Erza, you'll be with Natsu, try keeping him in check. I know you'll be able to get him to do some work. And lastly, Lucy, you'll be with Gray."

Juvia turned to look at Gray-sama to find that he was staring at Lucy! And he was _smiling!_ Juvia's heart broke again as she slowly turned her head to see Lucy's reaction. To Juvia's surprise, Lucy smiled back at Gray-sama and waved! Juvia frowned. Just how close were they? Juvia didn't remember Lucy saying anything about being friends with Gray, but from the look of it, they were _friends._ And all Juvia kept wondering was…

Why couldn't Gray-sama look at her like that?

 **AN:** Gosh Juvia's narrative is so hard to write because of how repetitive it is! But if I didn't write her this way, it would be OOC. But man, poor Juvia! And it looks like both Natsu and Juvia are jealous! ;D

 **Katiekat2001:** Thank you so much. :')

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Hahaha he sure is! :D Especially now that Lucy and Gray's friendship is growing! Thanks for the review. :)

 **FireShifter:** Thank you so much! :D Ahh you must live on the East Coast if your ice cream places close down during the winter! When I moved there, I was so surprised because Dairy Queen closed during the winter! On the West Coast that's not a thing haha! But man I love birthday cake flavor! :D

 **Amariisgr8t:** True! :D And you will get more Gale! :D I'm trying to separate the other three ships evenly which is why it's going to take a while lmao. Thank you for the review! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** That is what Jude is worried about! He's very uptight about appearances haha! And there will be more to come about Natsu's scarf. ;D

 **Alexa60765:** Hahaha looks like her dad didn't care so much about the time because he was more preoccupied with the marriage thing. ;D And he always notices when she's upset. :')

 **Avhaskake:** THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU WONDERFUL PERSON! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** AHHH THANK YOU. YOU'RE TOO KIND.

 **Nalulove:** HAHAHAHA I KNOW THAT'S WHY PEOPLE WHO READ FAMILY SHOULD READ THIS ONE TOO TO CHEER THEM UP.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Hello everyone. :) I wrote this chapter forever ago, I completely forgot about it haha! Hope you all enjoy! :D

Chapter 8

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I smiled, happy that Gray was going to be my partner. After talking briefly at Freezies and what happened earlier before class started, I was warming up to the dark-haired boy. I knew he could be trusted and that he would make an excellent friend, and hopefully one day a just as excellent boyfriend. Not for me, of course, but for Juvia.

Everyone at school knew just how in love Juvia was with Gray. Admittedly, I never understood it since from what she told me, they only spoke once, not including Friday. Since then, she'd been pining over him like a puppy. Was that what it was like to be in love?

I didn't know much about the concept of love, only what I watched or read. It was always the same. Boy and girl hate each other at first, they're forced to talk, start falling in love with other only to have a misunderstanding, then run up to each other and hug and all that other romantic stuff. I could've easily gotten a boyfriend- after all, boys were asking all of us almost every day to go out with them- but I didn't want that. Sure, watching it on the big screen was fun, but that wasn't what I wanted.

I wanted friendship. Sure, I had the best friends in the world, and my circle was finally growing even bigger with the addition of Natsu and Gray. Yet I felt like I was doing something wrong. I had secrets, and from what I saw in movies, that wasn't good. In the end, it always blew up in the characters' faces. Would that happen to me? Would my friends stop trusting me because I kept secrets from them?

I sighed and shook my head. No, that couldn't happen. I needed to have better faith in my friends. After all, I thought the girls would stop wanting to hang out with me if they knew I was rich, and yet here they were, still my best friends.

The girls actually were able to make me open up much more than I thought I would be able to. They knew about my strict father and my wealth. Sure, they didn't know about my mom or now the fact that my dad was trying to arrange my marriage, but they knew enough to know I could trust them.

"Hey, Lucy," a familiar voice called out from beside me, bringing me out of my thoughts. I sure tended to zone out a lot. Looking up, I found that it was Gray and smiled at him.

"Hi, Gray!" I greeted, noticing that everyone was moving around the room. "What's going on?"

The boy arched a brow and questioned, "Were you not listening? We're starting our projects now."

"We are? What are these projects supposed to be on anyways?"

Gray shrugged and answered, "It's just some research project. We have to pick a topic we're curious about, research it, write a paper and present it to the class."

I groaned and replied, "That's so boring. But at least we aren't listening to him lecture anymore. Do you have any ideas of what you wanna do?"

"Nah, nothing really interests me. Well, I'm interested in ice-"

"Ice?"

Gray nodded. "Ice. But I'm sure you aren't too interested in that, are you?"

I chuckled and answered, "Not at all."

"Well, I don't care what we do either way so you can choose."

I placed a finger on my chin in thought. I was interested in astrology, but that was a secret that would be shared between my late mom and me. Besides, I doubted Gray would be interested in it and I already knew plenty enough I wouldn't need to do much research. There was _one_ thing I wasn't sure about… Hoping Gray wouldn't laugh at me, I voiced my thoughts.

"I-I don't know much about love," I said, noticing the way Gray's eyes widened and a blush spread across his face. Even though I didn't see myself falling in love anytime soon and didn't even _want_ to, I was still curious about it and would've liked to know more. It would no doubt help me with my writing. "I know it's a little embarrassing, but I guess it would be cool to know more about it… Like how it happens and stuff."

"Isn't it just a bunch of chemicals?" Gray asked.

"I would hope not," I answered. "I would like to believe that it isn't defined by scientific stuff like that and it's all in the heart."

"Hmm… If we do this topic you're definitely talking for the presentation," Gray replied with a smirk.

Giggling, I nodded my head. And with that, we were discussing which days we had available after school to work on our project. As we pulled out our phones, I could feel somebody staring at me. Tearing my gaze away from my phone, I found Juvia staring at me. Her brows were drooped and she looked… _worried._ Was it because I was working with Gray? Once Juvia noticed me watching her, she quickly looked back towards Gajeel.

" _Shit. I'll have to talk to her later to make sure she knows I don't like Gray."_

I was about to return my attention to my phone once again yet I could still feel a pair of eyes lingering on me. Taking a chance, I turned to look at Natsu, who was on the opposite side of the room with Erza as his partner. He was staring at me with hard eyes and an unreadable face until he saw me watching him. Then, a huge grin broke onto his face as he waved at me. Giggling, I returned the gesture.

" _At least he doesn't think I like Gray. Wait, why would that matter in the first place?"_

Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on my phone so that I could finally search up the topic at hand. There was so much to focus on. Our contest, my father, our new project, and now Juvia's feelings. I could only hope the last one would be easy.

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

Once I walked to the other side of the room, I could feel a certain pair of eyes lingering on me though I resisted the urge to look back. I knew Jellal was repenting, but I was nowhere near able to forgive him. Not after everything that happened. Especially with Simon.

I shook my head, not wanting to think about that. Instead, I marched over to my partner and sat across from him. Usually, I could scare Natsu and Gray and even Gajeel with my presence, yet this time it went unnoticed. Natsu was too preoccupied with something else at that moment. Following his gaze, I was more than surprised to find that he was staring at none other than Lucy. Looking back at him, I watched his eyebrows knit together in frustration, probably because she was working with Gray and from the looks of it, they were pretty friendly.

When Lucy finally noticed Natsu, his demeanor changed immediately and he was a bright, happy boy that he was known for. Yet he went back to being pouty when Lucy focused her attention back on Gray.

" _This is interesting,"_ I thought, amused that Natsu was actually interested in somebody- though he probably didn't know it.

I didn't know Natsu that well. We played a few times when we were kids, along with Gray, after _that_ happened and admittedly, they helped me feel better after hard times. Other than that, the only times we spoke was when I was reprimanding him for causing a ruckus, but from what I knew of him, he definitely wasn't one to talk to or get interested in girls.

An amused smile crept onto my face as I stated, "Staring at her isn't going to change the fact that Gray is her partner, not you."

Natsu's eyes widened and a blush crept to his cheeks as he looked back at me and asked, "E-Erza!? When did you get there?"

An irritated vein protruded on my forehead but I took a deep breath to calm down and answered, "I've been here. It's rude to not notice."

"Sorry," he replied, turning his attention back to the blonde. "It's just annoying."

"What is?" I questioned.

"That _he_ gets put with her and I don't," he answered, a fire burning in his eyes. "And since when were they so close?"

"Is it a problem if they're close?"

"Duh."

"How so?"

"Because," Natsu began, turning his attention back to me with a look that made it seem obvious. "He already has Juvia gushing over him, why does he need Lucy too?"

I sighed and answered, "I don't think he is interested in Lucy like _that._ And it sounds as if you're interested in Lucy romantically since you're so worried about it."

Natsu blanched, ducking his head to hide his blush under his scarf, which wasn't there. I arched a brow, finally noticing that the white scarf was missing. Apparently Natsu forgot about it as well as he opted for staring out the window instead.

" _I wonder what happened to it. Even when we were kids he wore that scarf."_

Shrugging it off, I asked, "Do you like Lucy?"

"Not like that," Natsu answered, wasting no time. "It's just that she can do better than Gray."

"Oh yeah? Describe the perfect boy for Lucy then since you know her so well."

Natsu glared at me, noticing that I was challenging his knowledge of my- _our-_ friend.

"She should be with somebody fun," he said. "Somebody to take her on adventures since she doesn't go out much. And she should be with somebody to make her laugh, and Gray isn't funny enough. And she needs somebody to cheer her up when she cries, and sure Gray did that earlier today-"

"He did?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure somebody else would do a better job!"

I resisted the urge to smile, seeing that Natsu was truly frustrated at the thought of Lucy being with Gray. There was definitely something between the two and I was going to have to interrogate Lucy later. But for now, my attention was on getting Natsu to talk more about it.

"Who exactly would you suggest for Lucy then?" I asked.

"I just told you," Natsu answered with a puzzled expression.

"No, I mean specifically. Who at this school matches that description that you wouldn't mind being with Lucy."

Natsu's brows furrowed in thought until he finally answered, "I don't know. But why would she need to be with anyone anyways?"

"Everyone likes to experience it at some point," I answered, my thoughts drifting towards a certain blunette. I even felt my head itching to look at him. "It's a nice feeling…"

"Well, she doesn't need it with Gray," Natsu replied, crossing his arms. "He has Juvia, Gajeel has Levy, I have Lucy, and Jellal has you."

At this I sputtered uncontrollably and glared at the pinkette. "What are you talking about?"

Natsu shrugged and answered, "You and Jellal. I know everyone thinks I'm dense but I'm not _that_ dense. It's obvious there's something with you two."

"Shut it," I seethed. "Just focus on our project or else I'll tell Lucy you were staring at her."

With that said, I ignored Natsu's complaints and let my mind wrap around his words.

" _And Jellal has you."_

I shook my head, cursing myself mentally because of how _good_ it sounded. How good it sounded to be Jellal's. In a world where the past was wiped away, perhaps that would've been possible. After all, we had kissed… No, I couldn't think like that. I could never have something like that with Jellal ever again. I just wished my brain would tell my heart that.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

Once school ended, I hopped out of my seat and rushed over to where Lucy was still sitting. After being annoyed watching her eat lunch with Gray, I decided to make sure she hung out with me instead. Deep down I knew I was being ridiculous, that if she really wanted to be with Gray she could. It was her right and I knew Gray would treat her well. Yet something about the thought irked me. Luckily, she didn't show any interest in Gray yet. Still, I could be worried since all of the girls in school had a thing for him for some reason.

"Let's hang out, Lucy!" I exclaimed the moment I stopped in front of my favorite blonde.

Lucy glanced up at me and smiled, but her smile quickly turned into a shudder as she replied, "Sorry, Natsu. I can't. It's our first day of training with Erza."

"Training?" I asked. Lucy wasn't in any sports, what could she be training for?

"For our contest," she elaborated. "Did you forget already that we're going to beat you guys?"

I smirked and replied, "Oh, I was just confused. See, we don't have to train to know we're going to beat you."

Lucy puffed her cheeks out and smacked my arm. I cackled at the action, loving how easy it was to annoy her.

"Whatever. I gotta go before Erza kills me," Lucy said, finally done packing her stuff. "She's going to have Levy and I running laps with her. Kill me now."

I laughed and replied, "Running isn't that bad. I do it every day."

"You do?"

"Yep! I'm captain of the soccer team, of course I have to run."

"I forgot about that! Well, for somebody that doesn't play any sports, running _sucks._ I'd rather sit in bed and watch other people run on TV. Well, see you later!"

"But Luuucy, I wanted to hang out," I pouted, following the blonde.

"Too bad," she replied. "I'm busy. Go hang out with your friends."

"But you're my friend too!"

"Like I said, I'm busy! I don't know how long Erza is going to have us train!"

"I'll wait," I said. Lucy stopped walking and stared at me with a questioning gaze. "I've got nothing better to do anyways. We can hang out after!"

"Fine, since you're so persistent. But if I hear you making fun of how slow I am I'm not hanging out with you!"

"Deal!"

And that is how I spent the next three hours of my life: watching Lucy run. At first it was entertaining. I sat on the side of the track while Erza ran ahead of Lucy and Levy, who were both whining nonstop.

My eyes kept lingering on Lucy's shorts. They were _really_ short and were a deep shade of red, my favorite color. They didn't even run mid-thigh. Just how short could shorts be before they're considered underwear? My eyes fell onto her highly exposed legs. They were creamy, soft looking, and slender. I tried to look away because I felt weird staring at her legs like that, but I made a grave mistake as I found myself looking at her chest instead.

Lucy was wearing a black tanktop that did nothing to hide her chest. Her _large_ chest. I knew that Lucy's boobs were big, but wow. Seeing her running just made it that much clearer. Seriously, they were freaking bouncing. I wondered if it hurt. Honestly, it seemed like a hassle to deal with.

" _I wonder if they slow her down."_

Eventually, watching Lucy run got boring. Deciding I could go for a jog, I stood up and took off my shirt so I wouldn't sweat in it and ran onto the track. Catching up to Lucy was easy and I slowed down to jog by her.

"What are you doing?" she asked me between pants.

"Decided I would run with you. Watching you got boring," I answered. "You're tired already? You haven't even ran a mile!"

"Shut up."

"Are you here to spy on my training techniques?" Erza asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"No ma'am!" I answered quickly. "Just wanted to run with Lucy!"

Erza studied me for a bit before nodding. I heard Levy snicker before the two other girls ran ahead of us.

"Are you having fun?" Lucy breathlessly asked me. "Because I am not."

I laughed and answered, "I think running is fun."

"I think you're crazy."

I laughed again, glad I decided to run with Lucy. Even when she was tired and probably annoyed, she was fun to be around.

"How about I take you out somewhere after this?" I asked her.

Lucy's frowned and shook her head. "I can't. I have to go home after this. Maybe tomorrow after my training session with Erza we can hang out?"

"Aww, but I wanted to hang out today too. But alright, I'll take you up on that offer. I guess I could kick the guys' asses on Xbox tonight."

Lucy giggled and replied, "That sounds fun. I've never played Xbox before."

I stopped running and looked at her with wide eyes. "You _what!?"_

The blonde shrugged and answered, "I haven't played Xbox before. Or any console for that matter."

My jaw dropped on its hinges as I stared at her with disbelief. First was the coins, then the ice cream, and now Xbox? It was like Lucy lived under a rock! And judging from the limo she was picked up in the other day, it's clear money wasn't the issue.

"You know what," I began, "you're gonna come over to my place one day and play Xbox with me and eat loads of ice cream."

Lucy smiled and I could see her cheeks turning pinker by the second.

"That sounds nice," she replied. "How about we do that tomorrow?"

"It's a date!"

 **AN:** It's gonna be a slow burn with most of these ships haha! Thanks for reading. :)

 **Katiekat2001:** Haha that is so true! Juvia at least knows her feelings unlike the rest of these dinguses haha! :D

 **Twolanterns:** Thank you so much. :') I like to post on consistent days because I know how tiring it can get waiting for somebody to update. Sometimes I read stories and then forget everything that happened while waiting for an update! Though I can't blame the authors, I know how hard it can be sometimes haha!

 **FireShifter:** Ahh really!? I only heard of the East Coast closing their ice cream shops! It was so surprising haha! You must live somewhere cold!

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you as always! :D Hopefully things get better for Juvia and Lucy. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Jude is a jerk huh? Hopefully he gets nicer! And yes Graylu will forever be the brotp. :') And we'll have to see about the love rival stuff. ;D

 **Avhaskake:** THANK YOU! And yeah I didn't wanna make her OOC but I didn't wanna annoy my readers with constant "Juvia did this, Juvia did that" either. But I'm glad I went with the latter! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I KNOW STUPID GRAY! Hopefully he smartens up soon!

 **Nalulove:** Haha at least Lucy is saying no! :D

 **Lunahartz:** WAAAH THANK YOU SIS YOU'RE TOO KIND. :')

 **Guest:** YEP LOOKS LIKE JUVIA IS STILL JEALOUS!

 **MirrorFlame:** Thank you so much! And I know all about life being tough so don't worry about missing chapters. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Sooo Trump won. :') Pretty upsetting. :')

Chapter 9

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I woke up the next morning finding myself hugging Plue tight against me. My fingers absentmindedly rose to my neck where a soft scarf was wrapped around it. I never did give Natsu's scarf back since that Friday night we hung out. It may have been weird, but that night I passed out in it and since then I put it on every night before bed. It was just so warm and soft and it had Natsu's scent.

Natsu's scent was a peculiar one. It was like a campfire mixed with pine trees. I'd never been camping before, so the scent was like a new experience, which was something I was fond about with Natsu. He was filling my life with new experiences and adventures probably miniscule to others but they meant the world to me.

" _I should probably give him his scarf back,"_ I thought as I unwrapped it from my neck. I was sad at the thought of parting with the warm fabric but it must be done after I learned more about the sacred scarf yesterday.

 _"So I noticed that Natsu wasn't wearing his scarf today," Erza stated while she, Levy, and I were changing before our training session._

 _"O-Oh really?" I questioned, noticing the way the redhead was eyeing me with narrowed eyes._

 _Erza nodded and replied, "I also noticed how close the two of you are getting."_

 _"Close? We aren't close! Don't be ridiculous!"_

 _"Oh hush, Lu-chan!" Levy said, wiggling her eyebrows as she continued, "You two haven't stopped flirting for the past week! I had to kick Natsu out of my seat this morning because of it!"_

 _"We're just friends!" I denied, frantically waving my arms around. "We've only hung out once and it got cold so he gave me his scarf. There, happy now?"_

 _Levy snickered while Erza gave me a small smile._

 _"I'm surprised he lent it to you," Erza stated._

 _"Why? It's just a scarf."_

 _"Well, when we were kids, I hung out with him and Gray a few times. He always wore it around even on the hottest days. Once some other kid took it from him and he burst into tears I had to fetch it back to calm him down. It's surprising he let you borrow it so easily."_

Taking the scarf, I rolled it up neatly and put it inside my backpack. I didn't know why it was so important to Natsu, but there was no way I was going to keep it away from him for so long even if he didn't ask for it back.

Once I finished getting dressed and ready for school, I quickly left my room and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Usually I was only given a light salad for breakfast but sometimes Ms. Spetto was able to sneak some pancakes from my father's watchful eyes.

Speaking of my father, he hadn't said anything about the arranged marriage since the previous day considering I hadn't seen him. I didn't know what was going on through his head but I could only hope he would change his mind about the whole thing. Well, it's not like it mattered either way. In the end, he couldn't force me against my will to marry someone and there was no way I would willingly allow him to arrange my marriage. So for now, I was good.

"Thanks for the food!" I said to Ms. Spetto while I followed Capricorn to the car. Once we arrived to the school, I thanked him for the ride and jogged to the classroom, eager to see Natsu and to return the scarf.

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed when I entered the room.

"Good morning!" I greeted in return, sitting in my seat next to her. "Any new books I should read?"

That was our thing. Levy loved books even more than I did and would always recommend some and let me borrow them to read. That was how we became friends, our love for books. We had similar tastes in novels and always shipped the same characters.

"Yes! I'm reading this story about a girl who loses her boyfriend in a car accident and he comes back as a ghost to save her from this guy trying to kill her!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"Oh so you're reading another romantic supernatural novel?" I asked.

"Of course!"

"Good morning, Lucy and Levy," Juvia greeted as she entered the class.

I looked away from Levy to turn my attention to Juvia and found that her brows were drooped and her small smile was clearly feigned.

"What's wrong?" I asked with worry, which soon turned to rage as I asked, "Is somebody picking on you?"

"N-No, it's not that," Juvia answered, shifting her attention away. She bit at her lower lip and avoided my gaze. Clearly she was uncomfortable.

And then it hit me.

"Hey Juvia," I began, smiling at her when she met my eyes, "how are things with you and Gray?"

"They could be better… Gray-sama won't look at Juvia and Juvia thinks she upset him. J-Juvia thinks he likes someone else…"

"Oh really?" I asked. "Because from the way he was staring at you on Friday made me think otherwise."

"He was staring?"

"Definitely," I answered, Levy's nod backing me up. "I think you're slowly getting to him. If you want, I can talk to him about you while we work on our project, slip in a few good words!"

"You would do that for Juvia!?"

"Of course!"

Juvia leapt out of her seat and embraced me in a bone-crushing hug. While it definitely hurt my back, I ignored the pain because I was glad Juvia was happy again.

"Juvia was so worried!" the blunette shouted.

"About what?" Levy questioned.

Juvia pulled away from the hug and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Juvia thought Gray-sama and Lucy were starting to like each other."

"I promise I don't like Gray," I assured my dear friend.

"Yeah, because she likes Natsu," Levy teased, snickering behind her hand.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do! It's so obvious!"

"You mean like how Levy likes Gajeel?" Juvia questioned with a small grin.

Levy's cheeks turned a bright red as she shoved her face into her book.

"You aren't denying it!" I exclaimed.

"Denying what?"

Turning my head, I saw Erza enter the classroom with a stack of papers in her hand, probably from her student council meetings. I always felt bad for her since they were so early in the morning but she never seemed to mind.

"She's not denying that she likes Gajeel," I answered with a sly smile.

Erza mirrored the look and added, "I never expected Levy's first love to be somebody so rough around the edges."

Levy brought her madly blushing face out of her book and shouted, "I'm not in love with the guy, sheesh! H-He's just attractive… And interesting… And I'm tutoring him after school…"

"You're what?" I shouted.

"Hush, Lu-chan! Look, it's no big deal. But… I was in his _room_ on Friday."

Just then, a group of students along with Sensei entered the classroom.

"You will give us the details on this later," Erza stated.

I giggled watching Levy slump in her seat. My eyes kept wandering the door, waiting for a certain pinkette to arrive. I didn't even notice that my leg was bobbing up and down in anticipation, or that my friends were watching me with smug smiles.

I didn't know how Natsu became such an important person in my life. I hadn't even been talking to him a whole week and yet I was so excited to see him.

Were friends always like this?

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

I stifled a snicker watching Lucy wait for Natsu. It was cute, especially since it was clear Lucy didn't even know why she was excited to see him. I love Lucy, but the girl could be denser than a pile of rocks. But hey, I couldn't blame her. This was her first time experiencing anything like this. I felt bad for Lucy considering the moment Natsu stepped into the classroom Sensei began class, not leaving the two a second to talk to each other.

The class was then told to get into their pairs for our projects and I smiled at Jellal while he walked over to where I was seated, taking Juvia's seat while she went to work with Gajeel. I didn't know much about Jellal, other than the fact that he somehow knew Erza. It wasn't hard to tell that he liked her from the way he stared at her all the time. All I knew about the fellow blunette was that he was nice.

"It's good to see you again, Levy," he said as he sat down.

"You too," I replied with a polite smile. I didn't know why Erza hated him so much, he was kind and had manners.

"Did you research astronomy last night?"

I chuckled sheepishly and shook my head. "I looked through my library-"

"You have your own library?"

"Yep! It's not that big like an actual library, just a room my parents filled with bookshelves and all my books! Anyways, I was looking through my library for any books on astronomy and I got a little distracted by another book I found. But I do have books on it at least!"

Jellal smiled at me and replied, "That's fine. I was a bit preoccupied with my student council work anyways last night."

"So you are interested in astronomy?"

Jellal shrugged and answered, "A bit. I couldn't think of anything else I am interested in."

"That's okay, astronomy sounds interesting! I don't know too much about it, so learning will be fun!"

Jellal and I turned out to be great partners. He was just as smart as Lucy, maybe even smarter from the looks of it. Though I wanted to work with Gajeel, working with Jellal wasn't bad at all. We were soaring through our research that we didn't hear students shuffling in and out of the room as lunch started.

"Oi, Shrimp," a gruff voice sounded behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Gajeel but I did anyways. "It's time for lunch."

I blinked and glanced around the room and noticed that half of the students were gone.

"Oh. Thanks," I replied shyly, confused as to why he was telling me this.

Gajeel stared down at me with hard eyes and crossed arms. "Are you gonna eat or what?"

My brows furrowed as I puffed out my cheeks and retrieved my lunch.

"Are we all eating together?" Lucy questioned as the two groups were in fact sitting together.

I didn't fail to notice the way Erza eyed the seat beside Jellal before hesitantly sitting in it and I felt giddy for my partner, who was smiling happily.

"I don't see why not," I replied, taking a bite out of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I loved my mother, but having the same thing for lunch every day was getting tiring. I held my sandwich and bag of chips to Lucy, knowing she would want them. For some reason she always hated her food and wanted my boring lunches. "Trade?"

The blonde nodded happily as we switched food. Her lunch was an extravagant salad. I know salads don't sound too fancy, but man it was like the Heartfilia chefs had a kitchen stocked with secret ingredients and the dressing was to die for. It was a refreshing change from my sandwich and salty chips.

"You like salad?" Gajeel asked, eyeing the leafy greens in distaste.

"Lu-chan's salads are always good!" I informed him, holding the food out to him. "Try some!"

"Nah. It's too healthy."

I knitted my brows together in frustration and shoved the food against his chest. "Try it!"

Gajeel glared back at me before snatching the lunch and scarfing some of it down. I could see his eyes brighten a fraction as he took another bite, followed by another.

"It's not _that_ good," he lied.

I giggled and replied, "Was that so hard, Gajeel? Not all healthy foods are gross."

"That ain't even healthy with how much stuff is tossed into it and that dressing has to be loaded with calories with how sweet it is."

"Whatever! Just admit that you liked it!"

Gajeel smirked and replied, "Nah. You coming over today?"

"What?" Gray asked incredulously. I blushed under his questioning gaze, knowing fully well what he was thinking. "You two hang out after school? _She_ comes over to your place? You don't even let us over that much!"

"Oi, shut it!" Gajeel barked. "She's just tutoring me!"

"Is that what they call it these days?" Lucy teased with a smirk. I could see she was trying to wiggle her eyebrows like I do but it just wasn't working.

"Oi, I don't wanna hear that from you," Gray told the blonde, mirroring her smirk. "Not after I caught you and Natsu on a date."

"It wasn't a date!" Lucy denied.

With that, the group, including Natsu, laughed at Lucy's misery. We weren't all that close but something felt right to be sitting there laughing with them. It was like we were all meant to become friends with how comfortable it felt and I hoped it would become a daily thing.

Mostly so that I could spend the rest of my lunches with Gajeel.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After school finally ended, I shoved my stuff into my bag and raced over to Lucy. She always packed her things so slowly. When she noticed me stop by my desk, she gave me a wide smile, sending warmth flooding through my body.

"Ready to go to my place?" I asked, dying from anticipation.

"Lucy is going to _your_ place?" Gray asked with annoyingly wide eyes.

"Is that a problem?" I shot back.

"Did you at least clean it, Ash Breath?"

"Why would I have to clean it?"

"Because your place is a pigsty," Jellal answered as he approached us, Gajeel following behind.

"Please tell me that isn't true," Lucy said, sweat dropping.

"It ain't that bad!" I lied- _assured_ her.

"Oh, it's bad," Gajeel argued. "You can't see any of the floor."

"Or the sink with how many dishes are piled in it," Gray added.

"And I'm pretty sure Happy made a friend with the rodents I saw crawling around," Jellal joked.

"R-Rodents!?" Lucy screeched.

"There are no rodents!" I exclaimed.

"But the other things are true?"

"Well…"

Luckily I was saved from explaining as Erza changed the subject.

"You're going to Natsu's?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Lucy questioned in return.

A dark and all too familiar gleam shone in her eyes as she answered, "We have training to do."

"A-About that," Levy began, "I'm actually going to Gajeel's place after school to tutor him again so I won't be able to attend training either, remember? Sorry!"

"You ain't sorry, are you?" Gajeel sniggered.

Erza placed her hands on her hips as she glared at Levy and Lucy. "You two need to train. Levy, you can't lift a mere fifty pounds. And Lucy, you can't jog one lap without needing a break."

"We'll train extra hard tomorrow, I promise!" Lucy assured the redheaded demon.

Erza seemed to think about it, giving me enough time to grab Lucy's hand and dash out of the classroom before Erza could argue. I could hear her shouts trailing through the halls but luckily she didn't follow us. I could deal with the punishment tomorrow, but at that moment I just wanted to spend alone time with Lucy.

"She's going to kill you, you know?" Lucy teased once we were a far enough distance away so that we could walk.

"I could handle Erza easily!" I exclaimed, though it was a lie. Erza was a demon, I swear.

The walk back to my place was fun. Lucy and I would point at random people and guess their names based on their looks. For one of them we argued so much on it that I just had to run up to the guy and ask him what his name was. The stupid bastard just had to say his name was Hibiki, which is what Lucy guessed. What are the chances of that?

"I still think you cheated," I said as we were approaching my apartment complex.

"Again, how could I have cheated?" she asked in an annoyed voice.

"You probably knew him!"

"I've never seen him before in my life!"

"Liar."

"Idiot."

I chuckled just as we stopped outside of my apartment complex. "Well, this is it."

I watched as Lucy craned her head to stare at the entire building. It wasn't fancy or anything. It was just a brick building really. It wasn't even that big.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, taking her hand and leading her inside. "I gotta introduce you to Happy!"

"Happy?"

"My cat!"

Going up the flight of stairs, I led Lucy down a hallway towards the very end where my unit was. Getting my key, I quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside. Lucy hesitantly followed and I watched as her eyes lit up and she smiled at my incredibly small apartment. The kitchen was small and overflowing with dishes like Gray said and my living room wasn't impressive besides the gaming systems I hooked up to my TV. Yet Lucy looked at my place like it was a paradise.

"Wow, this is great!" she exclaimed.

"It is?" I asked, smiling at her excitement.

The blonde nodded and asked, "Are your parents not home?"

"Nope! I live alone!"

Lucy whipped her head towards me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "You're allowed to live on your own? Your parents don't mind? You're so lucky…"

I chuckled and replied, "You aren't understanding, Luce. There are no parents."

At that, Lucy's eyes widened even more- I didn't think it was possible- and she covered her mouth with her hands. Yep, that was the reaction I was used to, but for some reason it didn't irk me as much as it did with the others. It felt strangely okay with Lucy.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said in a quiet tone.

"It's alright," I replied.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Lucy then began to dig around in her backpack and to my surprise pulled out my scarf. I missed it so much and the sight of it made me realize how much I hated being without it. "Here you go! Thanks for letting me borrow it."

I grabbed the fabric and quickly wrapped it around my neck, letting out a sigh of relief. "Don't mention it."

"Hey, Natsu… Can I ask you something?" I nodded, prompting her to continue. "Why do you wear that scarf every day? Clearly it's important to you but why? Oh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'm probably being really nosy-"

"I don't mind telling you," I interrupted in a surprisingly low and gentle voice. Reaching to the soft fabric for comfort, I explained, "When I was a baby, my parents died in a fire. Soon after I was adopted by Igneel. We lived together for a while and he was my dad, the best dad in the world. One day though he just disappeared and all that was left was this scarf he wore every day and all of his savings. I didn't wanna go through the adoption process again so I decided to live on my own. So here we are."

I studied Lucy and noticed her chocolate brown eyes swelling with tears as she tried not to cry. Sheesh, was it really that sad?

"Tell me more about him. About Igneel," she said.

A wide smile graced my lips as I went on a spiel. "Igneel's the best! He taught me a bunch of things and we played games together all the time! He's the one that got me into soccer because we would always race and try to steal the ball from each other! Oh, and he always made me the best spicy curry!"

Lucy gave a small smile and looked like she was in her own world, something that she did a lot. "He sounds like such a loving father…"

"He is! That's why I'm going to find him one day!" I chuckled and asked, "What about you? Any backstory for you I should know about?"

"Nope," she quickly replied, walking past me and into my living room. "Is this your Xbox?"

I frowned, noticing how quick she was to answer. How quick she was to _lie._ Lucy was a terrible liar. But I didn't question her any more. I knew how hard it could be talking about pasts and if she wasn't ready, I wouldn't push her. I figured she would come around eventually.

"Yep!" I finally answered, turning it on and setting it up. I clicked on the game I played with the guys, _Call of Duty: Black Ops 3,_ and handed the controller to Lucy. "Sorry, I only have one."

"We can take turns!" she suggested. "I'm not going to be good at it anyways."

And just like she said, she wasn't good. At all. For most of the game, she complained about the sensitivity being too high. For the rest, she was yelling at others and arguing that she had less health than everyone else that shot her and that the game was rigged. It was amusing to say the least and I had to stop myself from laughing a couple times. Though, after a while I gave up and let my laughter fill the small home.

Just then, something brushed against my leg and I found Happy staring at me expectantly, as if telling me to introduce him to the weird blonde yelling on my couch. I picked him up and turned to Lucy with an eager smile.

"Lucy, meet Happy!" I exclaimed, settling Happy onto the couch and letting him crawl towards her.

"H-He's blue!" Lucy shouted. Why was everyone so surprised about that? "Why is he blue!?"

"Why is your hair blonde?"

"G-Good point… I guess… Well, he's pretty cute!" She reached her hand out and scratched behind Happy's ear.

"He likes you!" I said.

"I'm glad!"

A sudden ring sounded from the TV and the two of us looked to find _BlackSteelGajeel_ signed onto Xbox. He got onto Call of Duty and after a mere ten minutes, I saw that his kill-death ratio went down. I sent him a text to make fun of him, not expecting him to call me right after.

"Oi, Gajeel!" I greeted. "Nice to see you sucking at Call of Duty as usual!"

"Shut it, Salamander!" he shouted back. "I'm not playing, Shrimp is!"

"Levy-chan is playing?" Lucy asked excitedly. "Can I play with her!?"

Levy's voice faintly sounded through the phone, "Is that Lu-chan!? I wanna play with her! Gajeel, make it work!"

An invite then appeared on the screen and I clicked it for Lucy, sending her to Levy's lobby. And with that, Lucy was screaming, yelling, and laughing with her friend. I'd never seen her so happy, despite the curse words she was throwing out, and I couldn't help but smile too.

Eventually, we got off of Xbox and just spent the time playing _Monopoly_ until Lucy's phone rang. I watched as she stared at her phone, a nervous expression plastered on her face.

"Hello, Capricorn?" she answered. "A-Ahh, yes, sorry about that! No, I'm tutoring people at the school! Of course! E-Ehh? Now? Umm, can it wait until I get home? Oh, alright… Yes, I lied. No, I'm not at the school, please don't tell father." Lucy then smiled as she said, "Thank you, Capricorn. I'll text you where I am."

"Who was that?" I asked once she hung up.

"U-Umm, just a friend!" Lucy clearly lied.

"You mean the friend that picked you up in a limo the other day?"

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open and she resembled a fish. "Y-You saw that!?"

"Duh. I wasn't just going to leave you there. So who's Capricorn?"

"He is a friend, really. But he's also my… _chauffeur."_

"Wow, you have a chauffeur?" I asked with wide eyes. "No wonder why you can't run a lap without dying! It's because you're driven around everywhere!"

"It's not like I want to be…"

"Then why are you?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

Lucy stared into my eyes, her brown eyes wide and questioning. I gulped, suddenly feeling nervous from the way she was looking at me. I could feel my cheeks getting warmer so I ducked into my scarf, glad to finally have it back.

"Maybe someday," Lucy finally said in a hushed tone. I could tell it was serious for her so I didn't push my luck.

Soon enough, Caprisun or whatever his name was, was waiting outside of the apartment complex. Lucy got up to leave, quickly excusing herself before I grabbed her hand.

"Are you gonna text me this time?" I asked with a smirk.

"Huh?" she questioned, her cheeks tinting pink.

"I gave you my number yesterday but you didn't text me," I pouted.

"Oh. Well you promised me ice cream today but I didn't have any. But yes, I'll text you this time. Goodbye, Natsu."

"Later, Luce."

 **AN:** I wish the way I started talking to my boyfriend was like a cute Nalu story lol. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this long chapter! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Ahh I'm glad you're liking the story thank you so much! :D

 **FireShifter:** Oh wow that's terrible with the car thing! I'm glad it's not cold to that extent where I live. :')

 **Alexa60765:** HAHA THANK YOU! But the two dinguses probably didn't see anything special with the phrase "It's a date!" :')

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh wow such a deep review. :') I actually love Philosophy discussions. I personally believe humans shouldn't live solely for answers to questions that cannot be solved and instead focus on living to be the happiest they can be. :')

 **Lunahartz:** Hey, nothing wrong with being a lil reckless from time to time. ;) Hmm if I had to describe myself in one word it would be snarky lmao.

 **Avhaskake:** You have no idea how much it kills me not to have Cana and Mira in this story because I love them so much. :') But because this story focuses on four ships and _eight_ characters, there's no way I can thoroughly add them all. :') If they do show up, they won't be major characters. :') But hey Happy is here! :D

 **Grizzly:** Ooh that's a tough question! I truly think this is going to be my longest Nalu story though so maybe 30? I'm not sure though. :)

 **Lucydragneelt13:** Good thing I update on Thursdays so I can cheer you up I hope you did well on your midterm. :)

 **SingingAngel327:** He's just a big dingus. :') And I know! All the cute things he wants for her is what he wants to give her too though he doesn't know it yet. :')

 **Nalulove:** Thank you so much. :)

 **Daige:** Nooo PS4!? Jk I've never actually played on the PS4. :) But I gotta say I love Xbox. :')

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** I'm going to start putting the days in which these chapters occur to help prevent confusion. :)

Chapter 10

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Wednesday)_

I woke up with yet another wide smile on my face and clutching Plue close to me. Ever since I met Natsu and the others, I'd been so much happier.

" _Nothing can bring me down!"_ I thought as I quickly got ready for school.

There was a knock at the door as Virgo's voice sounded through, "Princess, your father would like to speak to you before school."

Okay, that definitely brought my mood down. Perhaps I spoke too soon. Sighing, I grabbed my things and headed for my father's study. A scowl etched itself onto my face as I knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in," Papa instructed.

I sighed once again and threw open the heavy door and stepped inside.

"If this is about me meeting suitors, the answer is still no," I boldly stated, staring at him defiantly. I was never going to back down on this.

Jude looked up from his paperwork and scowled. "I see. Actually, I was going to tell you that I have a business trip this weekend so I will be gone Friday through Sunday. Anyways, I've been speaking to Capricorn and he informed me that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't the best idea."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped on its hinges. "R-Really?"

"Do not stutter. Anyways, yes. I suppose I see his point. You're much too rebellious for somebody of high status to want to marry anyways."

"Gee, thanks," I sarcastically muttered.

"Do not speak in that tone with me, I was just doing what was best for you," my father stated.

With that, I faced Jude with upmost rage and questioned, "What's best for me or what's best for your company?"

"Both. Listen, Lucy. Our company is failing, and marrying you off would surely bring in some money but that isn't the sole reason I was going to have you meet suitors."

"Oh yeah? Then why else?"

Papa frowned and I could've sworn his eyes softened as he explained, "You are naïve, child. You do not understand how the world works. The world revolves around money. If you were to marry one of the suitors I saw best, you would always be financially stable, allowing you to get into any university and to care for your children the best. You could provide them with anything their hearts desire."

It was then that I saw he truly believed he was doing the best for me. He was delusional of course, but he was trying.

"I don't need money," I whispered, feeling tears prick my eyes at the revelation of the possibility of my dad caring about me. "I don't need any of that."

"You think that now," Jude began, "but that is only because you do not know what it is like to be dirt poor like I do."

"You mean like Mama was?" I asked. "That's how you two met, I know the tale. You were both poor! And yet you found love! Money isn't what is important!"

"No, but it is what allows you to protect those that are. How do you think your mother lived as long as she did? It's because we had money to continue her treatments. Lucy… I know I haven't been the best father-"

"Oh really?"

"But believe me when I tell you that I am looking out for you."

I stared into my father's eyes and studied them hard. They weren't cold and harsh like usual… Instead they were soft… I hadn't seen his eyes so tender in so long. Unclenching my fists, I sighed.

"I understand," I finally said. "But I want to do things my own way… I don't need all of this. I've seen people that are poor living much happier lives than us… I… I just want happiness."

"Money can grant that, Lucy!" my father said almost desperately.

"No it can't," I argued. "Only love can. If you want to be a better father, then open your eyes and realize that! I don't need my father's money, I need my father's love!"

And with that, I stormed out of the room. He cared. My father actually _cared._ He didn't show it well, not even close, but just knowing it gave me hope for our future. I was nowhere near able to forgive him and I wasn't sure if I would be anytime soon, but there was hope. Hope that I very much needed.

"Thank you for talking to him," I told Capricorn once I got in the car.

"Don't mention it," he replied. "Being your father's assistant along with your chauffeur comes in handy, doesn't it?"

"It does," I answered with a giggle.

"So, care to tell me what you were doing in that run-down apartment the other day?"

"U-Uhh, I was just-"

"The truth."

Sighing, I nodded and answered, "I was hanging out with my friend." I purposely left out the part that my friend happened to be a guy.

Capricorn nodded as well and said, "Let me guess, this whole tutoring thing is a lie isn't it?"

"You got me. But you know Papa would never let me hang out! C-Can we keep this just between us?"

Capricorn frowned and replied, "I'm not sure. What if your friends are dangerous? Perhaps I should check them out first. After all, Layla entrusted me with your safety."

I smiled sadly and replied, "They aren't dangerous. But thank you for being concerned."

When we finally got to the school, I bid Capricorn goodbye and quickly rushed to the classroom, eager to see my friends. When I got inside, the only ones there were Levy, Gray, and Gajeel, surprisingly all sitting together.

"Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted.

"Morning, everyone!" I replied. "So Levy-chan, are you ready for Erza's training?"

"No way!" the bookworm shuddered. "My legs are still sore from Monday!"

"Mine too!"

"That's because you lack training," Erza said as she entered the classroom, Juvia following closely behind. "Perhaps if you didn't skip training yesterday you would do better today."

"Morning, Gray-sama," Juvia greeted timidly with a small smile. It was clear to see she was trying to restrain herself and that she was still upset about Gray's coldness.

"M-Morning," the dark-haired boy replied as he looked away.

I pouted, not happy with Gray. He was so on and off in regards to Juvia! Last Friday he couldn't keep his eyes off of her and since then he kept avoiding her! Oh, he was definitely going to get it later.

"Yo, Juvia," Gajeel greeted.

I whipped my head back into reality and focused on the two. Since when were Gajeel and Juvia close? Was it because of the project? That couldn't be it since we'd only been working on it for a couple of days.

Yet Juvia instantly brightened and replied, "Hello, Gajeel!"

I heard a quiet scoff and turned to find Gray, who was sitting behind me, cursing under his breath while he undid the top buttons of his shirt and removed his tie.

" _So he's jealous?"_ I laughed and whispered to him, "That's what you get!"

Gray arched a brow in irritation and replied, "What are you talking about?"

"That's what you get for being cold to Juvia! Now you're jealous!"

The boy's cheeks grew pink as he repeated, "J-Jealous? No way! I just get tired of hearing that lug-nut's voice!"

"Whatcha two whispering about?" a sudden voice asked from beside me. I turned to find it was Natsu smiling at me with a wide grin and curious eyes.

"Oh nothing," I answered, giving him my full attention. I could tease Gray later but for now all I wanted was to talk to Natsu.

Natsu eyed the two of us before replying, "Wanna come over to my place again today? Maybe you can actually get a kill in Call of Duty this time!"

"Wasn't that so much fun, Lu-chan?" Levy gushed. "I actually got a kill when you got off!"

"You did!?" I asked in excitement. "Wow, good job! I think Natsu's controller is broken or something because I didn't get any kills!"

"Oh really?" Natsu smirked. "Because when you left I got a bunch of kills, so it's obviously not the controller."

"Juvia wants to play too!" the blunette cried out. "Juvia's never played Call of Duty before! Juvia would like to play with Lucy and Levy!"

"Oi, why don't you come over then after school?" Gajeel suggested.

I heard a choking sound behind me, knowing fully well it was Gray. I had to suppress my laughter.

"Yeah!" Levy agreed. "We can all play!"

"Really? You two don't mind?" Juvia asked.

"Of course not," Gajeel answered. "You've been to my place before, why would I care now?"

"Wait, what!?" everyone, myself included, screeched.

"Juvia's been to your place before?" Erza questioned, her cheeks turning pink. Clearly she was getting the wrong, or what I assumed was wrong, impression.

"Yep!" the said girl answered cheerily. "Gajeel and Juvia used to play together every day! Gajeel was Juvia's best friend!"

"Don't go sayin' stupid things," Gajeel chided, though the small smile on his face betrayed his words. "So you comin' over after school or not?"

"No," Gray suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at him. He had his arms crossed over his now bare chest, his cheeks were red, and he had a scowl plastered to his face. "Juvia can come over to _my_ place and play with me."

I watched as Juvia's eyes widened and her usually pale face turned crimson. Usually she would be gushing over the mere fact that Gray simply said her name, but she was completely silent as she searched Gray's eyes for answers.

"You jealous?" Gajeel teased.

"No way!" Gray denied again. "But nobody likes playing split screen or waiting for a turn so she can come over and play on my Xbox…"

"Wow, good one," I whispered to Gray, chuckling at his blushing face.

"Well, regardless of what Juvia and Gray are doing," Erza began, narrowing her eyes at me and Levy, " _you two_ are training with me after school."

"But I wanna hang out with Lucy!" Natsu whined cutely.

"Too bad," the redhead replied. "They need to train."

"Why doesn't Juvia have to train?"

The girls and I awkwardly chuckled and Erza lied, "She's too busy. Now, Lucy and Levy are training with me after school and that's final."

Natsu opened his mouth to protest when another voice cut him off.

"You should know that when Erza gets serious about something, you just can't win against her," Jellal said with a smile as he entered the class and stood by the said girl.

Erza tensed and I swear I could see her cheeks growing pink while she avoided Jellal's gaze. I definitely needed to find out more about those two. My eyes widened as I recalled my father's words from earlier.

" _I have a business trip this weekend so I will be gone Friday through Sunday."_

Before I disregarded those words because my father was always gone on stupid trips, but now…

" _How could I have never thought about this before!?"_

"Erza, Levy-chan, and Juvia!" I suddenly cried out with a huge grin and bright eyes. Everyone jumped at my sudden outburst and looked at me expectantly. "Come over to my house this weekend! Let's have a sleepover!"

The girls' eyes widened and they too smiled.

"Really!?" Levy squealed with equal excitement.

I nodded my head with such speed it probably looked like my head was going to pop off.

"I don't get it," Gajeel began, "is having sleepovers that big of a deal to girls?"

"It is when it's at Lucy's house!" Juvia answered, clasping her hands together.

"We've never been to Lucy's house," Erza added.

"I've only seen the outside of it once!" Levy chimed in.

"But haven't you guys been friends for a while?" Natsu asked. "How come none of you have been to her house before?"

The three girls looked at me, probably wondering if they should tell Natsu or not.

"Let's just say I haven't had the opportunity to invite them," I vaguely answered, followed by a weak chuckle. "But now I do! And hey, you guys can come over too! It'll be like a fun little party!"

"Are you sure about this?" Erza asked warily. "I know your… _situation_ is a bit strict."

"Don't worry so much, Erza! The _situation_ has been handled!"

"I don't get it," Natsu began with a puzzled face, "what situation are you two talking about?"

"Nothing! So is that a plan? Girls spend the night Friday and the guys come over Saturday!?"

Gray chuckled and replied, "You sure are excited about having friends over."

"That's because I've never had friends over before!" I informed him. "So is that a plan or not!?"

Everyone nodded and my grin grew wider in anticipation. I could feel Natsu's curious eyes watching me, probably thinking I was overreacting, but I shrugged it off. In that moment I was so happy and I couldn't wait for the weekend.

* * *

 _Gray P.O.V._

Once class started, we were immediately told to get in our pairs. Lucy spent the whole time either gushing over the weekend or scolding me for being so distant with Juvia. Oh, and teasing me for inviting Juvia over after school.

Eventually, school ended and I only had a minor headache. Lucy was great, she was like a little sister to me, but damn she could not stop talking that day.

When I finished packing my things, I walked over to where Juvia was waiting with a shy smile. My face felt unusually warm and my hands, which were usually cold and dry, got hot and clammy. And that was why I avoided Juvia in the first place. She was making my body do strange things and I refused to get attached.

"You ready to go?" I asked.

Juvia nodded happily and with that, we left the school in complete silence, neither of us saying a word until we got to my house.

"Is this your house?" she asked.

"Yep," I answered nonchalantly, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. "Try to ignore my family when they see you. They can get annoying."

And sure enough, when we entered, my minor headache turned into a migraine when Lyon and Ultear laid eyes on Juvia. Lyon wouldn't shut up about how beautiful Juvia was and kept asking her to go on a date with him. It pissed me off so much that I actually punched him straight in the jaw. And Ultear wouldn't stop studying Juvia as if she was some kind of foreign species or something.

"Gray's never brought a girl home before," Ultear said.

"That's it, we're going to my room!" I shouted in irritation, dragging Juvia by the hand up the stairs and to my room. I slammed the door shut to let those two idiots know not to come in.

"They seem nice," Juvia said with flushed cheeks, probably from all the attention.

"Agh, yeah but they're annoying," I replied, scratching the back of my head. Sighing, I sat on the bed and turned on my console. Staring at Juvia, who was standing and glancing around my room, I asked, "You gonna sit down? It's gonna be hard playing if you're standing up." I patted the spot on the bed beside me.

And that was a grave mistake.

Juvia clasped her hands and swooned as she plopped beside me. She clutched my arm and gushed, "Ahh! Being asked to sit be her lovely Gray-sama on his bed! Juvia is so happy!"

"Ack, get off!" I exclaimed, trying to shake the girl off. But she wouldn't budge so I sighed and accepted my fate. "Here, you aim with the left trigger and shoot with the right."

Juvia arched a brow as she took the controller, already being put in a lobby. Surprisingly, she got the hang of it real quickly and scored the second highest on her team. She gave the TV a radiant smile, I couldn't help but ogle at her.

Juvia was beautiful.

Shaking my head, I focused on the TV and saw that she was already scoring higher than everyone else.

"You sure you haven't played this before?" I asked, amazed by her skill.

"Juvia is positive," she replied. I had to admit, her speaking quirk was cute. "Though Juvia did play similar shooting games with Gajeel when she was a kid. Perhaps that is why Juvia is good at this."

A scowl immediately etched itself on my face at the thought of her and Gajeel being so close. Since when was that a thing? And why did it bother me so much?

Once Juvia finished that match, she set the controller down and focused her attention on me.

"Thank you for inviting Juvia," she said with a small smile. "Juvia was so happy."

"Ehh, it's nothing. I just didn't want you over at Gajeel's place," I replied, instantly cursing myself mentally since that was supposed to be a secret. "I-I mean, because I didn't want you playing split screen."

Juvia smiled at me as if seeing right through my lie and replied, "Juvia wouldn't have minded. Watching Gajeel and Levy interact makes Juvia happy."

"Hey, since when were you and Gajeel so close?" I asked, feeling insecure.

"Juvia wouldn't say we're close now, but we were close when we were children. Juvia was often bullied and one day Gajeel stood up for Juvia. Gajeel has always been… _rough,_ but Juvia could see he was good. After that, Gajeel and Juvia played every day, sometimes at his apartment. But then something happened to Gajeel and he went down a dark path… One that Juvia did not want to follow, and that is how we separated."

"And then you saw him again when you transferred to this school?"

"Yep! Juvia thought he didn't remember Juvia but he did! Juvia is happy to have so many friends here!"

"Tsch. I can't believe Lucy invited him to her house though. I kinda don't wanna go knowing he's gonna be there," I muttered. I knew I was being irrational and angry at Gajeel for no reason. After all, I was grateful knowing he defended Juvia when I wasn't there. Yet I couldn't help but resent him for being so close to Juvia.

"No! Gray-sama has to go!" Juvia suddenly demanded in a serious voice.

"W-Why? It's just a party," I replied.

"This is very important to Lucy! Lucy has never had friends over because of her father-"

"Her dad?"

"Yes. Lucy's father is strict and that's why she never gets to do anything. This weekend means a lot to Lucy, so you will go."

My cheeks flushed under Juvia's stare, surprised that she was looking at _me_ like that. Usually she only had heart eyes for me, but seeing her like this was a refreshing sight.

"Alright, I'll go. Hey, about Gajeel..." I began, remembering something Ultear told me years ago when she first met the boy. "Is the dark path you're talking about when he joined the gang Phantom Lord?"

Juvia's eyes widened as she questioned, "He told you!?"

"No, my sister did. It's actually a really long, complicated story."

"Juvia has time."

I studied Juvia for a little bit, wondering if I should really tell her. I was met with Juvia's serious gaze, knowing I had her undivided attention and that soothed me.

"After my parents died, I was adopted by a lady named Ur. Ultear is Ur's biological daughter, Lyon was adopted like me. Anyways, after Ur died, Ultear got into some trouble… She started dealing drugs, the hardcore ones. The ones that can kill easily. That's actually how I know Jellal."

"Jellal?"

I nodded and continued, "Jellal was her partner. Well, more accurately her pawn. She got the drugs and had Jellal sell them, which was the risky job. Anyways, Ultear eventually cleaned up her act surprisingly without ever getting caught once and she's been taking care of Lyon and me since then. But when Gajeel came over the first time Ultear told me she recognized him from one of the gangs she dealt with before she stopped. I don't think either Gajeel or Jellal know that I know any of this about them."

"Juvia is glad everyone is redeeming themselves," she said. "And Juvia is also glad you trust her to tell her all of this."

"Me too," I replied in a surprisingly husky voice.

My eyes darted to her lips and I had to shake my head to look away.

"Gray!" Ultear's voice rang out. "Why don't you and your girlfriend come down for some dinner?"

"Ahh, Ultear called Juvia Gray-sama's girlfriend!" Juvia gushed, latching herself onto me.

Usually I would push her off, hating how clingy she was but…

Maybe this side of her wasn't so bad either.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

Thanks to Erza stealing Lucy away after school, I had no choice but to go home and actually do homework. I wasn't the smartest kid in school but I wasn't the dumbest either, despite what the rest of the guys say. I actually excelled in Chemistry and I wasn't too bad at Math either. English was my worst subject. Something about my vocabulary wasn't right apparently. Who in the hell said "ain't" isn't a word? I want to kick their ass.

Anyways, I rushed through my homework, waiting for Lucy to be done with her stupid training. Sheesh, why did they need to train? It wasn't like they were going to win anyways.

I actually forgot about the contest until Lucy brought up her first training session on Monday. That was what brought us all together. Because we had different thoughts on where we should go for our fieldtrip, I met my best friend. In the end, the contest wasn't even important anymore. Though, beating Lucy would still be entertaining so of course I was still intending to do that.

"Happy, why is Lucy taking so long?" I asked.

Happy only meowed at me and walked away.

Man, life really was boring when Lucy wasn't with me. What did I even do before I met her? Oh right, play video games all day. Too bad I wasn't in the mood to do that.

Finally, my phone buzzed and I leapt across the couch to grab it. I smiled seeing it was a text from Lucy. After she left last night, she actually stuck to her word and texted me. We texted for hours until she wimped out and went to bed at only one o'clock in the morning.

"I can't feel my legs," the text read, causing me to laugh.

"You'll get used to it eventually," I replied.

Lucy texted back right away, "No way. After our match, I'm never running again!"

"Aww, don't wimp out Lucy! How are you going to survive the zombie apocalypse if you can't run? :("

"I'll just let them get me. :)"

"That's stupid! I guess I'll just have to carry you when the time comes."

"I guess so. Ugh, I don't wanna go home. It's so boring there."

"Then come here! :D"

"I wish. :( Hey, what did you get on that math test? I got a B-."

"HA! I GOT AN A-"

"No fair! My grades have been going down lately. -_-"

"Who cares? There just grades."

"*They're. And I care! Anyways, how was your day while I was gone?"

"Booooring. I just waited for you to text me."

"Aww, did you miss me? ;)"

I could feel my cheeks doing that stupid thing where they get warmer and I answered, "Hell no."

"Liar. Anyways, I gotta go now. Text you later tonight?"

Frowning, I typed, "Okay. Later, Luce."

"Bye, Natsu."

And with that, I sat on my couch waiting again for Lucy to text me. I'd never been so dependent on somebody before and yet I was so attached to Lucy and I didn't even know why.

" _What's wrong with me?"_

 **AN:** It's gonna be a while before we get to the contest btw. :)

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Thank you haha! Tbh that was a typo. My hand typed out Caprisun even though I was thinking Capricorn and I thought that would be perfect for Natsu lmao. :D

 **Lunahartz:** Your friend is probably awesome then. ;D And thanks as always sis! :D

 **FireShifter:** We'll just have to see if Jude finds out or not! ;D Thank you for another awesome review! :D

 **Lucydragneelft13:** Ahh good thing I update on Mondays to tell you I hope you did a good job! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you. :) Well really Lucy is the one learning but Natsu will hopefully learn eventually. :)

 **Avhaskake:** I'll probably end up adding Cana and Mira just because I love them so much but they won't be important lol. :)

 **Luna:** Imma say Jerza! :D And if I can't say Jerza then... Mira and Laxus. :) Wbu? :D

 **Alexa60765:** Haha yay for this long chapter! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Natsu is a patient friend. :') And Erza is an overtraining demon haha! :D

 **Nalulove:** AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** I'm updating a lil late today, sorry! I'm so busy I hate it. :')

Chapter 11

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Thursday)_

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted as her typical cheery self once I entered the classroom.

I yawned and took my seat, rubbing my eyes tiredly and replied, "Morning."

"Oi, what's wrong with Bunny Girl?" Gajeel, who was standing beside Levy, asked.

"Stop calling me that," I replied. "And I'm just tired. Stupid Natsu made me stay up until three in the freaking morning texting him because he couldn't fall asleep. I regret giving that idiot my number."

"How else is your boyfriend going to text you?" Gray asked, walking into the classroom, wearing a heavy smirk.

"Shut up," I muttered, my cheeks flushing pink. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Yet."

"Bunny Girl and Salamander huh?" Gajeel mused. "That would be an interesting couple."

"Yeah, but not nearly as interesting as you and Levy," Jellal teased, joining the conversation as he entered the classroom. All that was left to show up were Juvia, Erza, and Natsu.

"Oi!" Gajeel barked.

And with that, everyone had forgotten about me and Natsu and moved on to teasing Gajeel and Levy. There was something between the two, I just knew it. It sure was unexpected though since Levy was such a small, innocent girl and Gajeel was a looming, rough guy. But hey, if she's into it then good for her.

"Good morning, everyone!" a sweet voice called out as Juvia and Erza entered the classroom together, which was a typical thing considering they lived close together.

"You seem really happy this morning!" Levy pointed out.

Juvia nodded and replied, "Juvia is happy because Juvia spent the entire day with her lovely Gray-sama yesterday!"

"Good morning, girls," Erza greeted with a small smile. Glancing at Gajeel and Gray, the redhead also greeted them. Then, her eyes traveled to Jellal, who averted his gaze with a frown. Erza frowned as well while her cheeks grew _slightly_ pink as she said, "G-Good morning, Jellal…"

The blue-haired boy's head whipped towards the girl. His mouth was gaping open as he studied Erza, who had taken her seat and pretended like nothing just happened.

"G-Good morning, Erza!" Jellal exclaimed a bit too excitedly that his voice came out a tad higher.

I glanced between the two and frowned. Just what happened between them that made things so awkward?

"Whatcha making that ugly face for, Luce?" Natsu's voice rang out, distracting me.

A vein ticked in my forehead as I bashed the newly arrived pinkette upside the head. "Don't call my face ugly!"

Natsu groaned and rubbed his head. "Oi! What was that for!?"

"For calling me ugly!"

"I didn't call _you_ ugly, I called your _face_ ugly!"

"It's the same thing, idiot!"

"No it isn't! Sheesh, what's got you so angry today?"

"Oh I don't know, probably because I only got four hours of sleep thanks to a certain _someone!"_

"Alright you two," Sensei said. I never even noticed him walk in. "As much as I would hate to disrupt your lover's quarrel, it's time for class to start. Natsu, you can flirt with Lucy during lunch."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" we both shouted at the same time.

Once we all moved into our pairs, I quickly began to research more on the topic of love. It was a bit embarrassing to look up and it was even more embarrassing to talk about it with Gray, but at the same time it was interesting. Like Gray said, there were a bunch of chemicals involved when it came to love, but I like to believe that they are released _because_ of love, rather than vice versa. I mean, how special would love be if it was caused by chemicals?

Reading the symptoms was the most interesting part considering I was most curious what it was like to be in love.

" _Increased heartrate, spreading of warmth particularly in the cheeks, and sexual desire huh?"_ Lucy mentally mused. A smirk danced on the blonde's face as she handed Gray her iPhone and showed him the article. "Is this what you feel with Juvia?"

Gray choked on his spit and became a sputtering mess, his cheeks flushing a bright red as he skimmed over "sexual desire." Then he glared at me, causing me to laugh. Messing with Gray really was fun, maybe that's why Natsu did it so much.

"Shut up, Lucy!" Gray groaned, nudging me. "And I can say the same about you and Natsu!"

That sobered me up real quick as I asked with equally pink cheeks, "W-What are you talking about!?"

"Oh please! Are you two dating yet or not?"

I scoffed and crossed my arms. "As if! Sure, if we lived in a world where pigs flew or fell from the sky then yeah I would date Natsu. But this definitely is not that world!"

Gray held a finger up and grabbed a piece of paper and his pencil. He scribbled something and shielded it from my vision until he finished. With a smirk, he held the paper up and I could see a terribly drawn creature.

"What is that supposed to be?" I asked.

The boy's smirk grew as he answered, "It's a pig." He then dropped it, letting it fall slowly to the floor as he said, "And now it's falling from the sky."

"You're so lame!" I scoffed, crossing my arms again. "Sheesh, why do you want Natsu and I together so badly anyways?"

"Because despite how much of an idiot the guy is, he's still _kinda_ my friend," Gray shrugged. "And there's obviously something between you to so why not? Does dating Natsu really sound that bad to you?"

I fidgeted under Gray's watchful eyes, my face growing warmer by the second. "N-Not exactly… I mean, I just don't feel that way towards him! And he doesn't feel that way towards me either! He's just a friend!"

"A pretty close friend from the looks of it."

I turned to look at Natsu. His brows were furrowed in thought as he read something off his phone, probably an article Erza forced him to read. His tongue stuck out slightly and his eyes were bright. I had to admit, he was pretty cute.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Gray.

"He's just a friend," I repeated.

Though that time it didn't come out so sure.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

"Sheese, Erza!" I shouted. "Don't you think this is a bit much for our project?"

The redhead was a real slave driver. Our project was to write a paper and present it, which wasn't too hard though it probably would cut into my Xbox time. But _Erza_ wanted us to write a paper, make a poster, create a _skit,_ and make quizzes for the class!

" _Why couldn't I be paired with Lucy?"_ I glumly wondered. I'm sure I would've been able to get her to do all the work. And I doubted anyone else would try as hard as Erza.

"We're doing this, Natsu," she replied. I could hear her underlying threat. "As student council president, I must be a model student for my classmates and put more effort into my assignments."

"I really don't think anyone watches you _that_ closely to care," I shrugged. "Well, besides Jellal."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying that students only rely on the student council for dances and stuff-"

"I was talking about your mention of Jellal."

Shrugging again I replied, "Oh. Well it's the same thing as last time. I don't know what happened between you two but you should really forgive him. It's gettin' really annoying how much he talks about you."

Erza's cheeks started to match her hair as she asked, "J-Jellal talks about me?"

"Sadly. It's always, 'you guy's should show Erza respect! You should be more like Erza! Stop giving Erza more paperwork to fill out because of your detentions!' Blah, blah, blah. I think he just says a bunch of stuff just to say your name."

Erza stared at her papers and gave a small smile. I hoped I was getting through to her considering I was Jellal's friend and I wanted him to be happy, especially since he got me out of a trouble a bunch of times.

Since Erza was distracted with what I told her about Jellal, I leaned back in my chair and enjoyed my well-deserved break. Well, I would have enjoyed it if it weren't for my stupid head unconsciously turning to look at Lucy. And of course, she was talking to _Gray._ They were smiling, laughing, and sitting way too close. Hell, he even nudged her playfully. That was my thing with her!

Something about those two getting close irritated me. Gray and Lucy were my best friends, so I wasn't sure why they themselves becoming friends was so annoying, but damn it I couldn't take it.

" _He better not start liking her,"_ I thought as a growl escaped my mouth. " _He would probably break her heart."_ Shaking my head, I thought, " _Then again, who am I to say that? Especially after what happened with Lisanna…"_

Lisanna. Man, I wonder what she was up to. It had been years since we last talked. And it was all my fault.

"Natsu," Erza's voice rang out, distracting me from my thoughts. "Focus. We have to write this skit."

And with that, writing a skit didn't sound so bad anymore. As long as it got me to stop thinking about Lisanna.

* * *

 _Jellal P.O.V._

After school finally ended, I bid farewell to my friends. I had to admit, I was fond of the girls. They were kind and void of judgements. We ate lunch together again that day and I was able to sit next to Erza again. We sat even closer- though that would have to be because I pushed the chair next to me closer to mine before lunch started.

I believed I was making great strides with the Erza. She actually _greeted_ me for the first time in years without any hostility. Plus she would actually ask me to do things during our time in student council meetings.

"Later, Jellal," Gray said as I was nearing the door.

I waved and was about to leave when a sudden voice stopped me.

"W-Wait, Jellal." I turned stiffly on my heel with wide eyes to face the redhead calling out to me. Her cheeks were pink and her hands fumbled against each other, displaying her insecure emotions. Her long locks of scarlet flew just as graciously as they always had. I wanted to run my fingers through them like the good old days. "L-Let's walk to the meeting together…"

I could hear some of our friends' gasps and even feel their lingering stares but I didn't pay them any attention. All I could focus on was Erza. Did she truly just ask me to walk with her?

"R-Really?" I stammered.

The girl looked up to me and our eyes locked onto each other for a quick second before she averted her gaze. In a slightly harsher voice she answered, "If it is a bother then there is no need, I am able to walk myself."

I smiled knowing that was Erza's defense mechanisms, trying to keep her from feeling pain at the possibility of my rejection. "Of course not. Let's go."

And with that we left the classroom together, walking side by side- though she stayed near the right lockers and I by the left- in an uncomfortable silence, though I wouldn't complain because it was progress. Progress that I needed. It gave me hope.

"W-Wonderful weather we're having," Erza said.

I couldn't help but chuckle and ignored her flustered glare. "Can't we skip the small talk, Erza? We've known each other since we were kids."

"Alright," Erza replied, moving out of the way for other students walking our way, forcing her to step closer to me. To my surprise, she didn't move back to the lockers. "How are things with your foster family?"

"They're great. Truthfully, a bit awkward. I don't talk to them much and I'm aware they're fearful of me interacting with their kids so I try not to. But they're kind to me, despite their wariness."

"That's good. Are you liking the school so far? You haven't been here a full year yet."

"I am. People here are kind and I am free from my past here-"

"Except for me," Erza interrupted, her words a bit cold.

"Except for you," I repeated. "Oh, and Gray."

Erza's eyes widened as she whipped her head towards me. "Gray!? H-He was one too!?"

"Not Gray. His sister, Ultear. She was the one that gave me the supplies… Anyways, I'm not sure if he knows or not but I'm sure Ultear told him. I'm grateful he doesn't question or judge me for it."

"I-I'm glad… A-And I'm sorry."

"Erza don't apologize-"

"I have to," the girl said, stopping in her tracks and staring me in the eyes with determination. "Here at Fairy Tail we're supposed to treat our peers with respect and kindness. I often get mad at others for bullying Juvia when I myself haven't been so nice to you. Since Simon and the others accepted your apology, I see no reason why I shouldn't as well."

"I don't want you to apologize if you aren't ready," I replied, frowning. "I will fight for your forgiveness as long as I need to. So don't feel rushed."

"I'll admit, I am not able to fully forgive you right now. I will never forget the harm you've brought to our friends and I will hold you against it. However, my recent actions have not been excusable. And seeing as how you've made some friends, I realize that you are not the same person as before and you are redeeming yourself every day. Even my friends are getting comfortable with you around so I should too. So, I will do my best every day to forgive you, Jellal. That is a promise. I hope we can become friends again."

Erza smiled kindly at me, reminding me of when we were kids. Her smile was what brightened my days in my all too dreary life. I never thought I would be able to see it directed at me once again. I blinked as I felt a trail of wetness stream down my cheeks.

"H-How long have I been crying?" I asked aloud.

"Not too long," Erza assured me, her smile growing even softer.

I cried more and bowed. "Thank you, Erza. For giving me a chance to redeem myself to you."

"You're welcome, Jellal," the girl whispered. "Hopefully we can get back to what we once were."

 **AN:** Great progress being made between Jellal and Erza finally. :'D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I personally loved Gray last chapter he was adorable. :') And Natsu is like a puppy for Lucy haha!

 **FireShifter:** Wow fav chapter so far!? :D I did love that chapter too. :) And haha thank you! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** They are all connected! Even more so but you'll have to find out later. ;D

 **Alexa60765:** Haha yes I was so excited to write the weekend chapters! And I guess you'll have to find out! ;D

 **Avhaskake:** Haha I really don't wanna rush this story because I love it so much already! So yes, more chapters for all! :D

 **Sami1114:** WAHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** She just quit before she got caught! And you'll find out about Simon eventually :D And lmao me too I cannot run a lap to save my life.

 **Lucydragneelft13:** I didn't do well but it's my own fault because I didn't study. :') And what's MIZO?

 **Nalulove:** He's just got his priorities mixed up! And you'll see. ;)

 **Luna:** Rowen huh? :) They're cute. :') I don't thoroughly ship Wendy with anyone yet because she's a little young but I think her with either Romeo or Chelia would be cute. :') NOT MEST THOUGH.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. I could've sworn I updated this story right after Family but I guess I forgot. :') To make it up, I'll add a sneak peak of the next chapter! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Chapter 12

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Friday)_

That Friday morning, I ended up waking well before my alarm clock went off. About an hour earlier to be exact. I bounced throughout my room, quickly getting ready for school. Instead of rushing through breakfast, I leisurely indulged in the pancakes Ms. Spetto whipped up for me while watching an episode of some random show I didn't even know the name to. And through it all, the wide grin plastered to my face never wavered.

I couldn't help how happy and jittery I was. It was finally Friday, the day my friends were finally going to come over for the first time and _spend the night!_ I'd read many stories about girls having slumber parties and they always seemed like so much fun. Pillow fights, nail painting, gossiping, it sounded like a blast!

As I practically skipped towards the entrance to the classroom, I clasped my hands together in excitement. This day just kept getting better and better, proof being Gajeel and Levy practically ogling at each other while their faces were only mere inches away. Not wanting to barge in on whatever moment was happening there, I stepped backwards only to bump into something, or I guess I should say someone.

"Yo, Luce! You should watch where you're going!" Natsu's voice came out much too loudly since I was trying to sneak away from the couple in the classroom.

I quickly turned around and clasped my hand over his mouth, pushing him backwards until he was against the lockers. I didn't realize that I was pressing myself against him in my attempt to keep him quiet, my breasts squished against his chest and my right leg in between his parted ones. I also didn't notice the way Natsu stared at me with wide eyes and cheeks matching his hair. I didn't notice any of this until I felt something wet graze against the back of my hand.

I squealed and retracted my hand and glared at the cackling boy in front of me.

"Did you just _lick_ me!?" I screeched, placing my hands on my hips as I stared him down.

"Yep!" Natsu answered with a grin as he relaxed on the lockers. "That's what you get."

"What do you mean!? I didn't do anything!" I shouted.

"Oh please! First you shut me up with your hand, then you shove me against the lockers! I couldn't breathe because your boobs were crushing my ribcage!"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, completely mortified as I recalled our position. "I was trying to shut you up so that you didn't get me caught!"

"Get you caught?" Natsu repeated, raising a brow.

I nodded and answered in a hushed tone, "Levy-chan and Gajeel are having a moment in the classroom."

Natsu's face contorted with what appeared to be disgust as he walked past me to look inside. Luckily he was being stealthy about it and peeked his head to look while I peeked my head just below his. Thank Mavis neither of them heard us and were still looking at each other, though this time their faces were both a deep shade of red, redder than before.

"I don't get it," Natsu whispered. "How can Levy like Gajeel?"

I shrugged and replied, "Gajeel isn't too bad!"

"Yes he is. He eats metal."

"No way! You're lying! Anyways, the heart wants what it wants. You're just envious that Gajeel is falling in love and you aren't."

Natsu glared at me and crossed his arms. "Am not!"

"Are too!" I persisted. With a smirk I continued, "You probably just want somebody to look at you the way Levy-chan is looking at Gajeel and you're envious he beat you to it!"

"Whatever," the boy grumbled. "I just don't see the point in that stuff."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"I asked first!"

"And I asked second, what's your point?"

I glared at Natsu's smirking face as I answered, "I've had _plenty_ of boyfriends, actually!" Okay, maybe answered wasn't the correct term. _Lied_ seems better. In truth, I'd never dating a boy. I was turning seventeen and I hadn't even been kissed, but I wasn't about to tell Natsu that.

Speaking of Natsu, he stared at me with narrowed eyes before questioning, "Who?"

"Y-You don't know them… It was before I moved here!" I lied again.

"Ha! You're lying!" Natsu exclaimed. "You've never had a boyfriend!"

I cursed under my breath and angrily asked, "Well, have you had a girlfriend?"

"Nope!" he answered.

"Good!" I shouted, not meaning to. My face flushed as I glanced at Natsu, who stared at me with wide eyes and pink cheeks. I had to admit he was pretty cute.

"Why is that good?" he asked in a quieter tone than usual.

"I-I don't know. I guess it's just embarrassing to be the only inexperienced one."

Natsu continued to stare at me with unreadable eyes before shaking his head and grinning. "It ain't embarrassing! Now let's go inside!"

With that, I let Natsu drag me into the classroom, aware of the warmth that traveled through my body at the feel of his gentle hold on my wrist.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

Ever since my strange encounter with Lucy, I'd been watching her a lot more closely than before. Though instead of watching with rage as she worked with Gray, I watched only her with something poking at my brain annoyingly. There was something about Lucy, something different.

Before I had never been attracted to girls. Sure, I knew which ones I found pretty and all, but never had I once felt attracted to a girl specifically. For instance, I knew Erza was pretty. She had pretty hair and a nice body. But never had I felt attracted to her. It just felt wrong, and it felt like that with every girl I met.

But not Lucy.

I caught myself looking or thinking about Lucy differently. Like the other day when she was running? That was a whole new experience for me. And during what happened in the hallway when her body pressed against mine tightly, it took all my power to keep certain parts of me down. And that was annoying to say the least.

Lucy was just weird and it was apparently contagious. I wanted to do so many things I had never done before that I was never even interested in. Like run my fingers through her hair. I'm no author, but if I had to describe her hair, it was like long, luscious golden silk. And her eyes. They were such a bright shade of brown it was like I was drowning in chocolate staring into them.

Don't even get me started on her lips. Her pink, plump lips that I was so curious about. Were they as soft as they looked? What would it feel like if we kissed? Would it be slow and sweet or rough and sloppy?

I'd seen characters kiss in movies, and being honest I thought it ruined the movie. But now I couldn't help but wonder about it. I'd never kissed a girl, or been kissed, and now that was all I could think about in class after feeling Lucy's lips against my hand. And it wasn't just with anyone, I wanted to kiss _Lucy._

" _This is terrible,"_ I thought as I groaned and laid my head on my desk, ignoring Erza's nags. _"I'm attracted to Lucy. Damn it, world! Of all the girls in the world you had to make me attracted to my best friend!"_

What was even worse was the fact that my body couldn't stop reacting to her. Now, even though I said I wasn't attracted to girls, that doesn't mean I never experimented some things. Hell, I was a seventeen year old boy, waking up hard wasn't rare. But now, my body actually reacted specifically to _Lucy!_ How was I going to hide this from her?

Yet that wasn't even the worst part. No, of course the world wasn't done torturing me. This must've been karma for all the times I slipped hot sauce into Gray's food or pushed Gajeel down the stairs. The worst part of it all was that I had no idea what any of this meant.

Was it just puberty? After all, it was just my body reacting weirdly. And maybe I was only attracted to Lucy because I'd been spending so much time with her lately. Maybe I was what our health teacher from freshman year called a _late bloomer._

" _Yeah, that makes sense!"_

I grinned picking my head up from my desk. This was fine, my friendship with Lucy was okay. After all, I only needed to keep my desires hidden and maybe wear looser jeans, I'd be just fine!

It wasn't like I was in love with her or anything.

* * *

 _Gajeel P.O.V._

I crossed my arms and muttered to myself as I stood at the entrance of the school with the rest of the group. I didn't know when we all became a big group, but I wasn't complainin' since it let me talk to Shrimp. Yet even though these chicks were now my friends and that I reconnected with Juvia, I still wasn't happy about seeing them off.

I muttered curse words as the girls walked off to Bunny Girl's place for their sleepover. Sure I was glad Shrimp was going to have a good time, but that didn't mean I didn't want to throw her over my shoulder and take her back to my place. Especially after what happened this morning.

 _I waited in the classroom with my arms crossed. My foot tapped impatiently on the floor as I waited for Shrimp to come in. Usually she always beat me to class first but today she was just taking forever. Or maybe I just got there early. Nah, she was just slow._

 _I didn't know what was happening to me. Before I talked to Levy, I was always late to class and always getting detention. The thought of being in this dump longer than I had to ticked me off so I always took my time getting there. But since Levy started tutoring me, I found myself going earlier and earlier, just so that I could spend more time with her._

 _What was happening to me? Why was I getting so soft? I cursed knowing the answer. It was Levy. She was getting to me. Ever since our first day of tutoring I knew there was something about her. And my feelings only grew since we started talking more. She was feisty, despite her fragile appearance._

 _When Shrimp finally came into the classroom, my heart went out of control as she sent me one of her cheery smiles. I scoffed to uphold my reputation but walked over to her anyways and stood in front of her. Though other guys probably hated great height differences, I found myself loving it with Levy._

" _Good morning, Gajeel!" she said. I smirked noticing the pink on her cheeks, glad that she seemed to be feeling as flustered as I was. Sheesh, the great Black Steel Gajeel flustered from a girl half his size. How embarrassing._

" _Morning," I replied. "You're comin' over to tutor me after school, right? My grades have been goin' up and I made it my goal to do better than the rest of the guys and I need your help to do that."_

 _Shrimp frowned and replied, "First of all, you would never be able to beat Jellal, even with my help. Second of all, no I am not coming over. Lucy's having a sleepover, remember?"_

 _I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Sheesh, it can't be that important."_

" _It is! And as much as I love tutoring you-"_

" _Love?"_

 _I watched with a smirk as Levy's face turned bright red and she waved her arms around like a lunatic._

" _Not love!" she shouted. "Like! As much as I like tutoring you, I have to go!"_

" _Tsch. If sleepovers are that important to you, just spend the night at my place."_

 _Levy's face got even brighter than before- I didn't think that was possible- and she hit my arm._

" _No way," she replied. "My parents would never let me."_

" _But you would want to?" I teased._

 _Teasing Levy was hilarious. She would always get so riled up and her size only made it funnier._

" _Stop teasing me!" she shouted, glaring at me. "You keep teasing me about all these things as if you don't feel the same!"_

" _Whatcha gonna do about it?" I questioned, my smirk growing. Though that quickly vanished with what she did next._

 _Levy reached up and grabbed my collar, suddenly bringing my face down to hers and slamming her lips against mine. Her lips were small but rough as she pushed her mouth harder against mine. My brain shut down and I was filled with a desire to feel more._

 _Placing my hand on the curve of her back, I pulled Levy closer to me, leaning over so I could be closer. I molded my lips with hers and gnawed on her bottom lip, sucking with desire. I could hear her surprised gasp but she didn't push me away. Instead, she tangled her hands in my hair and pulled me closer._

 _Eventually, we parted for air and were panting, staring each other down with red faces. Neither of us said anything, scared to ruin the moment. Then Salamander and Bunny Girl walked in, forcing us to step away from each other._

With a heavy sigh, I walked in the opposite direction of the girls while the boys followed. Natsu and Gray were bickering about something but I didn't pay attention to those idiots. Now I really wished Levy came over. We could finish what we started.

I shook my head and formed fists with my hands. No, that couldn't happen again. I had to stop whatever _this_ was with Levy before it got too serious. She was way too innocent and pure for me and my past. I was a lost cause and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

I had to distance myself from Levy.

"What's got you down in the dumps, Metal Mouth?" Natsu's annoying voice asked once we sat in my living room, playing games.

"It's because he's not with Levy," Gray said, smirking.

"Shut up," I sneered admittedly harsher than I meant.

Gray raised his hands in surrender and continued to watch Natsu and I play split screen.

"Is something wrong, Gajeel?" Jellal asked seriously. "You do seem disturbed about something."

"It's nothing," I grumbled, smashing the buttons on the controller viciously. I really was in a bad mood after everything. I didn't even realize it until I threw my controller, causing it to break into pieces, all because I was killed.

"Whoa, dude!" Gray said. "Don't go breaking shit! Just tell us what's wrong!"

"It's good to let it all out," Jellal added.

I sighed, knowing they were right. As much as I bickered with these idiots, they were my friends and I knew I could turn to them.

So, with pink cheeks, I rushed out, "IkissedLevy."

"What did you say?" Natsu questioned stupidly. I glared at him, wanting to deck him in the face for making me repeat it.

But after taking a deep breath, I said once again, "I kissed Levy."

In a matter of seconds, Gray and Natsu were shouting like the idiots they were while Jellal only stared at me, surprised.

"Really?" he questioned.

"Well, she kissed me," I answered, my cheeks warming at the memory.

"Why is that bad?" Gray asked after finally calming down. "It's clear you like the girl and now you know she likes you."

"H-Hey, he might not like her! He could just be attracted to her!" Salamander shouted, seemingly desperately.

I eyed my cousin before replying, "No, I like Levy."

"So why is that a bad thing?" Gray repeated.

"Because of my past," I answered vaguely. I could see Natsu tense in the corner of my eye. "She doesn't know about it."

"Care to elaborate?" Jellal asked.

Sighing, I nodded. It was about time I told these guys, considering I'd been friends with them for a while.

"I was in the gang Phantom Lord," I told them. Jellal gasped and surprisingly I didn't get a reaction from Gray. "We did all kinds of bad shit. We got in fights, some of them did drugs, and some of them even killed people. Before you ask, _no_ I didn't kill anyone. I almost did though."

I sighed and gestured to Natsu. "If it weren't for this loudmouth, I would have. I was ordered to kill some punk that got in a fight with some of our members. Turns out it happened to be my cousin, Natsu."

"Why did you fight them, Natsu?" Jellal asked.

Natsu crossed his arms and answered, "Because they were annoyin' me talking about my hair."

"Anyways, after that the two of us duked it out and I couldn't bring myself to kill him," I explained. "Natsu ended up dragging me out of that life and since then I've been clean of crime."

"So why are you worried about being with Levy then?" Gray asked.

"Because he is punishing himself," Jellal answered. "I am familiar with this technique and I've admittedly been doing it as well. But I'm not going to anymore. I'm going to live my life to the fullest. It's time to forgive yourself, Gajeel."

I scoffed and replied, "As if you know what it's like. I was going to _kill_ somebody! I don't deserve this kinda happiness with an innocent girl like Levy!"

Jellal smiled at me and replied, "It's nice to meet you, Gajeel. My name is Jellal, former drug dealer that actually _did_ almost kill somebody. That's a story for another day though, Gray can fill you in on that." Gray sputtered before Jellal continued, "I am going to forgive myself, and you should too."

"I agree," Natsu added. "What's the point of livin' if you're just going to be lonely?"

"No! If I hang out with Levy, she's going to be influenced! Or she'll find out about me and never want to see me again!" I shouted.

"I doubt it. She's friends with Lucy. Anyone that's friends with Lucy is good. And besides, you aren't even that bad. You didn't kill anyone. You're just extremely annoying and eat metal on occasion."

I stared at my friends with admittedly teary eyes. I cursed myself for feeling so damn emotional but I couldn't help it. They gave me the words I needed to hear so badly. They were right. I was going to forgive myself and there was no way in hell I was going to stop hanging out with Levy.

"I only ate metal once," I replied, punching my cousin in the face. "Now let's hurry up and play so I can kick all your asses."

 **AN:** So much happened this chapter. :') We got a Gale kiss, some mildly dirty stuff from Nalu, Natsu realized he's attracted to Lucy but stupidly confused about what that means, and we learned about Gajeel's past. :') You'll see more about the sleepover and something else important next chapter! ;D Hope you all enjoyed, please review! :D Here's the sneak peek:

 _And with hat, the heavy tension in the air began to relax. Juvia was glad Erza finally got all of that off her chest. For as long as we had been friends, Erza never spoke about her hatred towards Jellal and we never asked. Yet now it was like we could trust each other._

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Jerza ship has departed but the Gale ship? That ship is sailing with ease. :') And thank you for the sweet review! :)

 **FireShifter:** Haha you'll just have to find out eventually. ;D Thanks again! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Heyyy that wasn't a cliffhanger last time! :D Well, maybe a lil. :) HAHA I will hold all of you in suspense about Lisanna forever! Jk, just for a while. :')

 **Avhaskake:** Oh no get better soon! D: And wow thank you so much wonderful human being. :')

 **Lunahartz:** Nali is a cute brotp! But you'll have to wait and see about Lisanna! ;D Thanks sis! :)

 **Lucydragneelft13:** Oh I forgot you mentioned MIZO was your language! And thank you so much! :D

 **CRaZieSt aNgEl eVeR:** Haha typing that username was hard for me! Anyways thank you so much lovely reviewer! :D

 **Nalulove:** We'll have to see about that! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** HAHAHA SOOOON I PROMISE. AND THIS TIME I'M NOT LYING IT'S VERY SOON *WINK WINK*

 **SingingAngel327:** Now you know Simon isn't dead. But you'll learn what exactly happened between them soon. ;) AND THANK YOU I AM LOVING THE GRAYLU AS WELL. And you'll find out about Lisanna eventually. :D

 **MirrorFlame:** That is true. Some people have a need to know. But I believe that if a person is finally able to be okay without knowing, they will be able to live their lives to the fullest. :') And that is a good theory. We all have our own truths and anything but what we want to be true is unsatisfactory. But perhaps that's the point of life!

 **IndianaCombs:** Ahh don't worry about it! Thank you for reviewing all the chapters you missed, it really warms my heart. :')


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Long chapter again! I feel like the chapters in this story are longer than the chapters in my other stories haha! Enjoy! :D

Chapter 13

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Friday)_

After playing video games for hours- I did the best, of course- the rest of the guys and I decided to stay over at Gajeel's place, ignoring his annoying protests. Sheesh, it's not like the lug nut had anything else to do. Besides, his fridge was always stocked with food, he shouldn't be stingy and share.

"So Natsu," Jellal began while I stuffed my face with a chicken wing. "How are you and Lucy?"

I choked on the food I was chewing and had to take gulps of water to relieve my throat of its pain. "W-What the hell? W-We're just friends!"

The boys raised their eyebrows, giving me a new idea for a prank. I should've totally shaved their eyebrows off while they slept! Well, except Jellal. Jellal would actually kill me in my sleep. But Gray and Gajeel? They seemed like the perfect people to prank.

"Nobody said you guys weren't, idiot," Gray jibed, reminding me of Jellal's question. "But now that you mention it, you two sure are starting to look pretty close."

"Poor Bunny Girl," Gajeel added. "She's gonna get dumber hanging out with you."

"Does that mean you're dumb since you hang out with me every day?" I retorted with a smug look.

"You guys are annoying," Jellal stated with a sigh. "But Gray's right, Natsu. You two are very close now. You hang out with Lucy more than you hang out with us."

"That's cuz she's weird, and weird is interesting," I replied with a shrug.

"She better not become the next Lisanna," Gajeel muttered.

I glared at my cousin while Gray added, "He's right, Natsu. You aren't the only one close to Lucy this time. She's like my little sister now. So even if something happens between you two like it did with you and Lisanna, we ain't gonna stop hanging out with her. So you _better_ not mess anything up."

"Oi, I didn't do anything with Lisanna either!" I shouted. Man, hanging out with these guys sure could get irritating sometimes. Luckily, my phone started ringing before a bad fight could start. I raised a brow seeing it was from an unknown number. "Hello?"

I heard a giggle before a strange voice replied, their voice obviously being disguised to sound lower than normal. "Hello, is this Natsu Dragneel?"

The rest of the guys looked at me curiously so I shrugged and put the call on speaker. "Yeah, who is this?"

There was another giggle before the caller asked, "Is it true that your hair is naturally pink?"

"Yes," I answered, a vein ticking in my forehead. "Now who is this?"

"Are you sure it is? Are you sure you don't poor strawberry milk on it every day?"

"Oi! That wouldn't even dye my hair! Or would it?"

"So you're admitting you dye your hair!"

"I NEVER SAID THAT!" The caller then burst into a cute fit of giggles and that's when I realized what was happening. I couldn't help but smile. "Wow, Luce! That's a pretty lame idea for a prank call! I mean really, strawberry milk? That was the dumbest joke I've ever heard! You can do better than that!"

"Hey, my call was just fine!" she shouted. "If I didn't laugh you would've never figured it out!"

"Still, your idea was _lame!_ I don't think I've ever been pranked so lamely before!"

I could just imagine Lucy's face. She was probably puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms.

"Whatever! We're going to go prank call Gray now! Bye, Natsu!"

"Later, Lucy."

"So the girls are trying to prank call us?" Jellal asked with a smile.

"I guess so. They really suck at it though! They need help from the master!"

"I hate to agree with Fire Freak, but they really do suck," Gray added, snickering. With that, Gray's phone started ringing and we didn't have to think twice to know who it was.

* * *

 _Juvia P.O.V._

Juvia's heart hammered in her chest while she dialed the memorized number onto Levy's phone. Juvia was unable to use hers or Lucy's since Gray-sama already had their numbers. Juvia didn't want to prank her lovely Gray-sama but it was the only way Juvia would've been able to talk to him and Juvia never misses an opportunity like that.

"Hello," Gray's voice came out, causing Juvia's heart to stop.

"H-Hello," Juvia greeted. Juvia turned to her friends and saw them urging her to continue with their planned prank. "I-Is this the lovely Gray-sama?" Juvia could hear her friends face-palming but didn't know why.

Juvia could hear laughter in the background of the call before Gray answered, "Yep."

"Is Gray-sama's refrigerator running?"

"Wow, really? This joke is like fifty years old!" Juvia heard in the background. It sounded a lot like Natsu.

Gray chuckled, warming Juvia's heart before answering, "It sure is."

"Then you better go catch it!" we all shouted into the phone. Juvia laughed along with her friends, finding the joke to be amusing. Though perhaps the joke wasn't as funny as we made it out to be. It seemed as though everything was hilarious and our laughter was contagious.

"Really, Luce?" a voice rang through the phone. This time Juvia was sure it was Natsu. "That's your idea of a better prank?"

"Natsu!?" Lucy cried out, grabbing the phone. "What are you doing with Gray?"

"All the guys are spending the night at Gajeel's. Your lame calls distracted us from dinner!"

"Shut up! So you guys got jealous that the girls were having a sleepover and decided to throw yourselves one, huh?"

"Juvia wishes she could spend the night with her lovely Gray-sama!" Juvia sighed.

"JUVIA!" Lucy and the others shouted. Juvia could hear Gray sputtering in the phone.

"Well goodbye, boys!" Levy said. With that, she hung up, ending Juvia's short conversation with Gray. "So what do we do now?"

"I'm down for anything," Erza said as we all sat on Lucy's queen-sized bed.

Lucy's room truly looked fit for a princess. The walls were a baby pink and the room was full of regal white furniture. In the corner stood a desk big enough for two people to spread their things and study and there were monitors set up on another desk in the opposite corner. Lucy also had plenty of books, though not nearly as many as Levy.

"I say we talk about boys," Lucy added with a smirk.

Hearts appeared in Juvia's eyes as she shouted, "Juvia would love to talk about Gray!"

The girls groaned while Levy said, "You've been talking about Gray all day!"

"Yeah, it's time we talk about _Gajeel,"_ Lucy added, nudging Levy playfully. Juvia giggled seeing Levy's face morph to match the color of Lucy's walls. "Care to tell us what you two were doing in the classroom this morning?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Levy lied. Juvia's interest was piqued considering it was two of Juvia's closest friends.

"Don't lie! I saw you two gazing into each other's eyes this morning!"

"I wasn't!"

"Levy," Erza started with a threatening gleam in her eyes, "tell us what happened."

The fellow blunette groaned as she hid her face in her hands. Juvia never understood how liking somebody could be embarrassing. Levy was embarrassed of liking Gajeel, Lucy was embarrassed of liking Natsu, and Erza and Jellal were strange. Juvia was never embarrassed of her love and always wore her heart out on her sleeve.

"Fine," Levy started begrudgingly. "I-I might like Gajeel."

The three of us laughed at our friend's misery.

"You think?" Lucy repeated teasingly.

Levy glared at the blonde before continuing with a reddening face, "Fine, I _know_ I like Gajeel… I-I don't know why. He's so on and off and there are days he ignores me but… I can't help but want to be with him all the time!"

"There's nothing wrong with that," Erza said with a smile, her tone serious. "Your heart decides things that your brain has no control over. It's not bad to like him at all."

Levy nodded and added, "I may have… This morning I…"

"Spit it out!" Lucy demanded, hugging her pillow tightly. The three of us were dying in anticipation.

"I KISSED GAJEEL!"

"WHAT!?"

"I-I know, it's way too soon! I mean, we've only been talking to each other for a short time but I couldn't help it! H-He was teasing me and he was close and my arms acted on their own and brought him down and I kissed him!" Levy shouted, shoving her face onto the mattress in mortification.

"There's nothing wrong with moving that fast," Erza assured the girl. "How did Gajeel take it?"

"W-Well at first he was surprised but then he started kissing back, so I think that's a good sign… We didn't really get the chance to talk about it after."

"Wow, Levy! You finally had your first kiss!" Lucy congratulated, hugging our petite friend. "You're the first of us to kiss a boy!"

Erza's cheeks reddened as she coughed and replied, "Actually…" The three of us gaped at the redhead before demanding for an elaboration. "I had my first kiss years ago. It was nothing too serious."

"Was it with Jellal?" Levy questioned.

Everyone cringed at the look of pain that surged through Erza's eyes.

"E-Erza," Lucy began warily. Juvia knew where she was going with this. "You don't have to tell us but… What exactly happened between you and Jellal?"

Erza sighed before answering vaguely, "I fell in love with him at a terrible time."

Juvia fidgeted in her spot before questioning, "D-Does this have to do with Jellal being a drug dealer?" Lucy and Levy gasped while Erza stared at Juvia in shock.

"H-How did you know?" she asked.

"Gray-sama told Juvia."

"Ahh, Jellal did say something about Gray knowing," Erza replied, her eyes looking far away. "I suppose I should tell you girls. Jellal and I had been friends since we were children. He was my first friend. We were in this terrible orphanage together. Many of the kids our age are actually in juvenile detention or even prison, like Angel and Cobra. I'm sure you've heard of them."

"Anyways, there was a group of us. Me, Jellal, Millianna, Sho, and Simon. We always escaped during the night to go play and would sneak back in before morning. J-Jellal gave my last name actually," Erza informed us, her hands unconsciously twirling her hair.

Sighing, she continued, "We did this every day for years and our friendship continued to grow. We kept believing we were different than the kids around us, the ones that were being plagued with negativity. One of the nights we snuck out, Jellal led me away to an empty field. We ended up falling, rolling down the grassy fields until he was on top of me. Soon enough, his lips found mine and that was my first kiss."

"I knew I was in love with him before then. I loved him because he made my dreariest of days in the orphanage full of light and adventure. He would sneak some extra food for us and he was like our leader. But everything changed years ago when we were caught."

"You don't have to keep telling us," Lucy told Erza, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

The girl shook her head and replied, "I want to. You three are my closest friends and I will put my trust in you." With a heavy sigh, she continued, "One night when we were sneaking back in, Sho accidentally knocked over a vase and we were caught. Jellal took the blame and got sent to what we called the dungeon. When a child did something bad, they were put there for a few days."

"I was never put in there thankfully. I knew it was bad though, especially after Jellal returned. He was different when he came back. Nobody knew what happened to him in the dungeon but it was bad. The light and happiness that were in his eyes was replaced with a darkness I couldn't recognize."

"It only got worse when everyone else got adopted by nice families. Jellal was the last to be adopted, and he was the only one to be put with a horrible family. I could understand how that darkness in him only grew, seeing his friends finally find loving homes but he didn't. Eventually, he somehow got into the business of dealing drugs. He constantly tried to recruit us but we all refused."

Tears gathered in Erza's eyes as she went on, "Then he offered some to us. We always refused, but one day… One day Simon confessed his feelings for me. I had always known how he felt but I just couldn't reciprocate them because I was in love with Jellal. I guess Jellal offered after, knowing that Simon was distressed and more likely to accept. Which is what he did."

"One try of meth led to another, then another until finally he was hospitalized on the verge of death. His family didn't have much money so paying the bills and rehab was tough. Luckily, Simon survived and he's been clean for over a year. Jellal had apologized to his family and to me but I couldn't forgive him after he almost killed Simon."

"Juvia never knew…" Juvia breathed out.

"Me neither," Levy replied. "Jellal just always seemed so kind…"

"And he is," Erza stated. "Jellal isn't the person he was when all of those bad things happened. Which is why I'm working on forgiving him. After all, it's pretty contradicting hating the person you love."

"You still love him?" Lucy asked.

"Never stopped. Never could no matter how hard I tried."

"Wow," the blonde mused. "I wonder what it's like to love somebody so unconditionally."

"Oh please," Levy snickered. "You're learning pretty fast with Natsu!"

And with that, the heavy tension in the air began to relax. Juvia was glad Erza finally got all of that off her chest. For as long as we had been friends, Erza never spoke about her hatred towards Jellal and we never asked. Yet now it was like we could trust each other.

"Juvia is happy you told us and is happy Jellal is better," Juvia said, smiling at her redheaded friend.

Erza smiled and replied, "Me too."

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

That Friday had to have been the best Friday of my life. I was worried the girls were going to judge me upon seeing my house, but to my surprise they didn't. Even more to my surprise was that they didn't gush either. Usually when others see my house they either call me a snob or tell me how lucky I have it. They didn't do either and instead acted as if it was normal, and for that I would be eternally grateful for such wonderful friends.

I made sure we did everything girls were supposed to do at a slumber party. We painted each other's nails- mine looked the best because Juvia painted them. Then we prank called the boys. I came up with the idea. If I'm being honest with myself, I only came up with it because I wanted to hear Natsu's voice. After that we sat on my bed talking about boys.

I was beyond happy to finally know what happened between Erza and Jellal. Now I completely understood the glares or dirty looks she sent him. Though, I was glad she was going to forgive him considering he was becoming our friend. And the fact she was in love with him.

Love. Still such a foreign concept to me. Yet apparently not to my friends. Juvia was unashamedly in love with Gray, Erza was secretly in love with Jellal, and Levy was slowly falling in love with Gajeel. At least Natsu seemed unknowing of the topic as well.

"We should bake cookies and watch a movie!" Levy happily suggested after our talk about Jellal.

Erza crossed her arms and replied, "I think a strawberry shortcake sounds more appetizing."

We all laughed at the redhead. After all, her love for the pastry was known throughout the school. She would eat one every day for lunch. Once Natsu and Gray knocked her cake over during one of their fights and wow. Let's just say all hell broke loose.

"I think a strawberry shortcake sounds great," I added with a smile. "Let's go see if we have the ingredients!"

With that said, we traveled down stairs to find Virgo and Capricorn chatting idly in the kitchen. Luckily all of the workers promised to keep our sleepover a secret from Papa.

"Hello, girls," Capricorn greeted with a smile. "So which one of you is the one Lucy was hanging out with the other day?"

The girls looked at me questioningly before Erza answered, "I believe Lucy was hanging out with Natsu that day."

I cringed, knowing exactly where this was going. Capricorn dropped the glass in his hand, causing it to shatter as it fell on the floor. He maintained his smile though I could see the dark gleam in his eye. The _threatening_ gleam in his eye.

"Natsu?" he repeated. "As in a _boy?_ "

I sighed and nodded. "Yes, a boy."

"You were at a boy's apartment!?"

"We didn't do anything, I swear! We just played video games!"

"Hime, do you have a boyfriend?" Virgo asked. "Feel free to punish me for asking."

"I'M NOT PUNISHING YOU! And no, he's not my boyfriend!" I groaned, wanting this conversation to be over already. I knew Capricorn was just being over protective and probably teasing me as well but it was weird thinking of Natsu like that. Wasn't it?

"I'll definitely get a background check going on that boy," he said, his lips twitching into a smile. I could hear my friends giggling at my expense.

"Whatever," I groaned. "Go ahead. Anyways, Virgo. Do we have ingredients to make a strawberry shortcake?"

"We don't have any strawberries," the pink-haired maid replied.

I turned to Erza to ask, "Does it need strawberries?"

She gave me a look that screamed 'duh.' Sighing, I asked Capricorn, "Can we walk to the supermarket and get some strawberries?"

Capricorn smiled at me and answered, "Don't worry about it, Miss Lucy. I'll go pick some up."

"No you don't have to! You're off the clock right now!"

"Still. It is your first time hanging out with friends, I do not mind driving to buy you something."

I smiled at the older man and nodded. With that, we waited in the living room for him to return.

"Your staff is nice," Erza commented.

"They aren't just my staff," I told her with a small smile. "They're also my friends- no, _family._ They've been with me since I was born and raised me."

"Is this your mom, Lu-chan?" Levy asked as she held a picture of my family. I was a little girl seated on a big chair holding my favorite doll, Michelle. My parents stood beside me. That was back when we were a happy family.

Tears pricked my eyes as I smiled and answered, "Yep!"

"Where is she?" Juvia questioned. "Work?"

"You never do speak about your mother," Erza added.

I sighed and answered, "My mother passed away a little while after that picture was taken." I smiled at my friends' gasps and apologies.

"Is that why your dad is… You know…" Levy began.

"An ass?" I finished for her, laughing. "Yeah. I look a lot like my mom and I guess it just hurts him too much. I-In fact, the other day my dad tried to-"

"I'm back!" Capricorn announced as he carried strawberries.

And with that, I completely forgot that I was going to tell my friends my dad tried arranging a marriage for me. We quickly began to bake the cake. During the mixing process, Levy and I started a mini food fight, glopping some of the batter onto each other before Erza scolded us to stop wasting what could become cake. Being scolded by Erza in my own home. How amusing.

After the cake was made, we put it on a plate and brought it up to my room. Levy picked out a romantic comedy for us to watch before my stomach growled loudly.

"I guess I'm hungry," I mused. I didn't even know I was hungry because I was having so much fun with my friends.

"It looks like Erza is going to eat all of the cake," Levy replied. And it was true, the cake was just finished and yet half of it was gone. I wondered how Erza managed to stay so skinny.

"Why don't we order a pizza?" Juvia offered.

My eyes lit up at the thought of devouring pizza, something I hadn't been able to do in a while because of my dad's watchful eyes of my diet. Damn I missed pizza. Thus, with speedy fingers, I dialed the best pizza place in Magnolia and ordered a large pepperoni pizza with stuffed crust.

When the doorbell finally rang, I ran down the stairs along with my friends to get it and some plates. I threw open the door, not expecting to see such a familiar face as the delivery boy.

"L-Loke!?" I cried out. I grabbed the pizza and quickly handed it to Levy and threw myself into the boy's arms.

Loke was a very attractive boy my age with a spiky orange mane of hair. He always wore suits and oddly a pair of sunglasses, even as he delivered pizzas apparently.

"Good to see you again, Lucy!" he said as he hugged me back. "It's been a while!"

There was a cough from behind me as Levy asked, "Lu-chan? Who is this?"

I turned to them with a bright smile and informed them, "It's Loke! He's my friend! His mom used to work here and we would play together all the time! By the way, how is your mom?"

"She's doing fine," Loke answered with a smile. "So you're allowed to have friends over now, huh?"

"Nope, my dad is out of town."

"Ahh. You gotta know how surprised I was to find out I was delivering a pizza to the Heartfilia mansion! Your dad never let you eat pizza! I thought he changed!"

I scoffed and replied, "As if. Do you wanna come inside? We were just gonna start a movie!"

Loke smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, I got more deliveries to make. It was good seeing your beautiful face again, Lucy! It's like fate wanted us to meet so our love can shine!"

"Still a player, huh?"

The boy smirked and answered, "Always. Anyways, I have to go now. Give me your number though so we can talk again!" I did as he said and with that, I was hugging him before he had to leave, unaware of my friends' snickers or Levy snapping a picture of us.

"Bye, Loke!" I called out. I then closed the door and turned to find my friends with smug faces. "What?"

"I thought you were in love with Natsu, but it turns out you're in love with this guy!" Levy teased, wiggling her eyebrows perfectly.

My face turned red as I replied, "I'm not! He's just a childhood friend, I swear!"

"He seemed to think of you more than a childhood friend," Erza added with a smirk.

I groaned and said, "He's like that with every girl. I'm surprised he didn't jump all over you three."

Juvia giggled and replied, "That's because he was too busy flirting with you."

I groaned again and grabbed the pizza, leading them back to my room. The movie ended up being a total bust with way too many sex scenes. Though, it didn't look like Erza minded despite her flushed cheeks. Thus, we shut it off and decided to talk and munch on our food.

"I heard Jackal asked you out the other day, Lu-chan," Levy said, taking a small bite from her pizza.

I shivered and replied, "Yeah, he did a while ago. He was revolting though. Tried grabbing my boob. I made sure to slap him extra hard in the face."

Being asked out was a constant struggle for us. For some reason, every boy in school wanted to be with us even though they never spoke to us. They were clearly focused on our looks, which is one of the many reasons we rejected them.

"You know," I began, putting a finger to my chin, "I actually haven't been asked out in a while. I think Jackal was the last one, and that happened almost two weeks ago. I wonder what happened."

Levy leaned over to Juvia and fake-whispered, "You think it's because Natsu scares them away?"

Juvia giggled and replied, "Juvia thinks so."

I groaned again and replied, "You guys are cruel."

Erza smiled and chimed in, "It is a possibility. I mean, it was almost two weeks ago since you started talking to Natsu."

"The school probably thinks you two are dating and knows to stay away," Levy added.

"As much as I'm glad boys stopped asking me out, I don't want the school thinking I'm with Natsu," I replied.

"I think you should keep an open mind about Natsu," Erza stated.

"Juvia agrees," the blunette added. "You should keep an open mind about love."

I groaned and replied, "Natsu and I could never be an item."

And for some reason, my heart stung at those words.

 **AN:** Well, that's it for their sleepover! Next time is when the guys come over! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I could totally see Levy being the first to kiss Gajeel! I truly believe that's what is going to happen in the manga! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Aww the emoji didn't pop up! Haha had to add a little dirtiness to spice it up! :D

 **Lucydragneelft13:** I hope you liked the sleepover! :D Thanks for another review! :)

 **Twolanterns:** Ahh thank you! I went and re-read it and I know exactly what you're talking about! I'll try to prevent that from happening in the future! :D

 **Alexa60765:** I KNOW! IT'S LIKE A RACE WITH THE SHIPS AND THEY ARE NOW WINNING!

 **Avhaskake:** Lmao yeah I don't know what happened! I remember editing it but I guess I forgot to actually update it! And aww thank you so much! :D

 **FireShifter:** Thank you for letting me know I didn't update! I could've sworn I did lmao. And I know, Natsu and Lucy are dragging behind Gajevy. I have a specific order of ships becoming canon, but that will be a surprise! :D

 **IndianaCombs:** Omg hahaha I should make an OVA or something for it. Along with a regular chapter lol. That would be hilarious!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hmm can't say for sure. :) We'll see. ;)

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha you'll just have to see! ;D But at least one of them is finally canon. :')

 **MirrorFlame:** Haha our most philosophical questions come to us in the early hours lmao. And I know my answer is bland and nowhere near enough for most people, but I truly believe the point is to find happiness. :')

 **Nalulove:** Haha honestly I wasn't either but my fingers typed it up. :')


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** I already said this in my other story, but for those that aren't reading that one I'll say it again. I will be taking a break from writing because I'm going on a trip! :D So I will be back to update on Christmas (hopefully). :D

Chapter 14

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Saturday)_

As the morning rays of light crept through the crack of my curtains, I reluctantly opened my eyes and stretched my body. I yawned and glanced around the room, mildly surprised to find a head of blue still lying on the pillow next to mine. Peeking over the bed, I found Erza and Juvia still sleeping on the air mattress beside my bed.

Carefully sneaking out of bed and making sure not to wake anyone up, I crept towards my desk and quietly pulled out a piece of paper and my favorite pen.

"Good morning, Mama," I wrote with a content smile. "It's been a while since I wrote to you last. I've been doing well. I told you last time about Natsu and the others, but we've gotten a lot closer since then! Get this, all of the girls are falling for them! Anyways, they spent the night here and the boys are coming over later. I don't know what we're going to do yet but I'm sure it'll be fun. I haven't had real friends before. I don't think I could ever live without any of them now. I should get ready now. Goodbye, Mama. I love and miss you dearly."

I was about to fold up the letter before I remembered to scribble down, "P.S., don't tell Papa."

Now content with my letter, I smiled and folded it neatly before slipping it into a new envelope. Putting the sticker on was my favorite part and my smile grew seeing I put it perfectly on the envelope. With that, I slipped it into my box, which was overflowing with previously written letters. I really should get a new box.

I grabbed my towel and other necessities and headed for the bathroom down the hall instead of the one in my room since I didn't want to wake the others up with my shower. I wanted to freshen up before they guys came over, especially since I sweated through the night thanks to Levy being a mini heater. Sheesh, I thought Natsu was hot but apparently so is Levy.

After starting my shower, I stripped off my fuzzy pajamas and stepped inside the grand tub. I wanted to take a bath but I knew I shouldn't take up too much time or hot water since the other girls might want to shower as well. It was probably for the best this way anyways since I still had some cake batter dried onto my hair that needed to be cleaned off.

After I finished bathing, I turned off the water and dried myself off. I smiled at the outfit I had chosen for the day, a blue miniskirt and tight white jacket with a blue cross. Tying my hair into a side pony with a matching blue ribbon, I quickly brushed my teeth and headed for my room, surprised when I got there to find my friends already woken up.

"Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted as she stepped out of my bathroom wearing a towel. Apparently she took it upon herself to bathe in my bathroom. I smiled at how comfortable they were.

"Morning, everyone!" I greeted in return. "Wow, you guys cleaned my room while I was gone? You didn't have to do that!"

"Nonsense," Erza replied. "We wouldn't make a mess of your room and not clean it up. Besides, there was nothing else to do since Levy was taking her time in the shower."

"Do you two wanna shower too? One of you can use my bathroom while the other uses the one I just came from."

And that's exactly what they did, Erza being the one to use the bathroom in the hall. I was shocked to hear gasps and shrieks from the staff that worked here and rushed to find Erza strolling leisurely through the hallway in nothing but a towel. Did she not see the male servants? Hell, I didn't even walk around in just a towel around the females! Erza sure was comfortable with her body and I hoped to have her confidence one day.

Just then, my phone started ringing. I glanced towards the screen and saw it was Gray calling me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Oi, Lucy," Gray greeted. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"Don't worry about it, we're all awake and ready!"

"Shit, really? That was fast. I'm calling to ask when we're supposed to come over. Flame Brain and Gajeel are still passed out so it'll probably be at least an hour until they're ready."

I groaned and replied, "Just pour water on them to wake them up."

Gray laughed and replied, "You're cruel. But I'm way ahead of you."

I laughed hearing Natsu and Gajeel yelp in the background after apparently having water dumped on them.

"Okay, they're awake," Gray said. "We'll be over in an hour. Can I get your address?" After I gave it to him, he replied, "Cool. See you then."

"Was that the boys?" Levy questioned.

"Yep!" Juvia answered for me. "Juvia could hear Gray-sama's wonderful voice from here!"

"Really?" Erza mused. "All I could hear were Natsu and Gajeel's pathetic yelps."

"What are we going to do when they get here?" Levy questioned.

I shrugged and answered, "Hadn't thought about it. Maybe just watch a movie?"

"Juvia suggests we play spin the bottle! But only if Juvia and Gray-sama kiss each other!" the blunette gushed.

"I have a better idea," Erza began with a mischievous smirk. "Let's play strip poker."

"NO WAY!" Levy and I protested.

"Juvia would love to see Gray-sama naked!" Juvia cried out.

"Tsch, fine. Then we shall play the guild master game," Erza stated.

"Guild Master Game?" I repeated. "I've never heard of that game before." And from the looks of it, Levy and Juvia hadn't either. "I don't have that, sorry. Maybe we can go out and buy it before they come over?"

"It isn't a board game you buy in stores. It's a simple game that only requires popsicle sticks. Do you have some?"

"Actually, I think I have some left over from that art project we had to do last year. How many do we need?"

"Eight, one for each of us. This will be fun, girls."

And something about the evil gleam in her eyes told me otherwise.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

The guys and I got ready quickly to go over to Lucy's place. We walked through Magnolia, using Gray's phone for Google Maps since Lucy lived farther from town. We lived here our whole lives and yet never even heard of the street name. Jellal offered to drive but Gajeel and I quickly refused.

"Ready to see Lucy's house?" Gray questioned with a disgusting smirk that I wanted to punch off his face.

"It's just a house," I replied.

"But it'll be your first time going to your girlfriend's house-"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

And with that, I leapt over and tackled the idiot to the ground. Jellal broke us up and we reluctantly stopped fighting.

"Salamander is probably mad because we're all going to be there," Gajeel added. "Are we almost there yet, Gray? It feels like we've been walkin' for ages."

"Yeah, it should be right up ahead!" Gray answered, suddenly stopping in his tracks.

The rest of us looked at him. His eyes were huge and his mouth was gaping like an idiot. We followed his gaze and unknowingly had the same reaction, for beyond the street sign was a house. _One_ house. As in on the entire street was only _one freaking house!_

"A-Are you sure this is the right place?" Jellal asked.

"It is!" Gray answered after checking his phone. "Unless Lucy accidentally gave me the wrong address!"

"She didn't," Gajeel said. "I remember Levy sayin' something about Bunny Girl living in a huge house. I didn't think it would be _that_ big though."

Big was an understatement. The house- no, _mansion-_ was bigger than our places combined! What the hell kinda life was Lucy living? She had to be like the Emperor's daughter or something! The mansion was huge and there was no sign of any chipped paint. The lawn stretched for what looked like miles and was trimmed to perfection. Even the hedges looked perfect.

So this was Lucy's world?

And yet she wanted to hang out with me even after coming to my shabby apartment?

For some reason my heart felt lighter after realizing that. Usually when we saw someone rich, we assumed the worst. We encountered so many rich snobs through the years it just became instinct to believe all wealthy people were like that. Yet Lucy was so kind and down to earth. I guess we were wrong.

"Let's go!" I said, dashing towards the front door. Yet the moment I stepped foot on the driveway, I found myself being tackled by three different people. "What the hell!?"

"Natsu!" the guys shouted, rushing towards me.

"Oh, everyone!" a familiar voice shouted. Lucy came running towards us and exclaimed, "They're my friends! They're okay!"

"Friends?" one of the people on me repeated. His voice was annoyingly deep. Or maybe it was just annoying because the dude was still on me. "Miss Lucy, these boys were running towards the mansion. We all that it was suspicious behavior. Forgive us, we'll moooove away."

The heavy weight disappeared from my body and I shot to my feet, glaring at the people that attacked me. Usually I could see it coming a mile away but these guys came out of nowhere.

One of them was a shirtless bulky man with muscles popping out everywhere. The guy was more muscular than Gajeel, and that was saying something. He wore black pants and had what looked like a cowboy belt keeping them up. It would've grossed me out being tackled by a shirtless guy if it weren't for the fact that I always wrestled Gray, and that guy's a stripper.

The next guy was stranger looking with half red and half white hair. It was split straight in the middle, making it obvious it wasn't his natural hair. Then again, people thought the same about my hair, so who am I to say his isn't natural? Anyways, this guy was shirtless too. What was up with the shirtless people here? Gray would fit right in. Anyways, he wore red baggy pants and had a strange necklace, if it could be called that. It look like his head was coming from the middle of a flower.

Lastly, there was a guy that had me questioning my eye sight. Because there was no way I was tackled by a guy in a freaking horse costume. But after rubbing my eyes, I learned it was true.

"Sorry, Miss Lucy!" the guy with the red and white hair said. "Capricorn told us to be on the lookout for intruders today! We're only looking out for you, we are!"

"Capricorn?" Lucy questioned. "Why would he tell you that? He knew my friends were coming over today!"

"My apologies," a new voice sounded from behind Lucy. It was an older man in a suit wearing sunglasses. "I guess I forgot."

Lucy scrunched her face together and crossed her arms. "You did this on purpose didn't you? Because I lied the other day about where I was."

"I don't know what you're talking about. But if one of these boys happens to be Natsu, I think that this makes a suitable punishment for sneaking you into his home."

"Oi, I didn't sneak her in!" I protested, about ready to lunge on the dude. "Who are these people, Lucy?"

Lucy looked back at me and answered, "These are my friends who happen to work here. This is Capricorn, the one that picked me up last week. And these three are Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Taurus. They're bodyguards for the mansion."

"Bodyguards?"

"Yep! Now hurry inside. Erza has a game she wants to play. She said it'll be fun!"

With that, Lucy led the way inside. Apparently the rest of the guys quickly got over their shock about Lucy being rich and having bodyguards. Glaring at the people who tackled me, I followed Lucy inside. She then introduced us to a maid with pink hair, who offered to let Lucy punish her.

"Kinky," Gray whispered to me. Lucy slapped the back of his head in response before leading us upstairs to her room.

Lucy's room was girly. Her walls matched my hair- not that my hair is girly- and her furniture looked like princess furniture. Was my best friend actually a princess? From the looks of it she was. Levy was sitting on the bed while Erza and Juvia sat on the floor. It was amazing how big her room was. We all fit and had plenty of space.

"Nice place you got," Gajeel told Lucy.

"Thanks," she replied. "Though I've only been in less than half of it."

"Seriously?" Gray questioned. "You haven't seen your entire house?"

"I've seen what I need to. Who needs a house this big? It's stupid."

"Yeah, yeah," Erza said impatiently. "Let's get to playing!"

From the evil look in her eyes, I could tell whatever game she chose wasn't a fun one.

"What are we playing?" Jellal asked, sitting beside her on the floor.

Erza squirmed with cheeks matching her hair before she answered, "The Guild Master Games."

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

"The Guild Master Games," I answered.

Everyone seemed to have curious expressions, informing me that they had never heard of the game before. That only made it more exciting to play. I suppose I was feeling rather mischievous today. Perhaps I had been spending too much time around Natsu during our project.

"Wait a second," Gray began with a horrified face. "I've heard of this game. There's no way we're going to play!"

I gave him a harsh glare and replied, "Oh, we aren't? Because I believe I already said that we were."

"What is this game anyways?" Levy questioned. She began fidgeting in her seat, anxious for what was to come.

"It's a simple game," I stated. "One popsicle stick has a crown on it, making them the leader for that round and allowing them to issue an order that is absolute. We keep repeating the process."

"So you want to be the lucky one to draw the leader?"

"Exactly."

"This sounds a lil dangerous," Lucy said. "There has to be some rules, right?"

"No, everything is off-limits," I answered.

"Well, since we're playing in my house and I know some of you are evil, we are keeping the orders PG-13, got it?"

"Tsch. Fine."

Lucy retrieved an empty mug and placed the numbered popsicles inside. Swirling them around a bit, she mixed them up so that nobody would know which was which. On the count of three, everyone reached into the mug and pulled out a stick. I grinned ear to ear seeing a neatly drawn crown towards the top of my stick.

"I'm the leader!" I happily announced. "I order seven to strip naked!"

"THAT'S NOT PG-13!" Lucy screeched.

"Fine. Then I order seven to take a shot of hot sauce."

"NO!" Gray shouted, falling on his hands and knees in despair. "Why did I have to get seven!? I refuse to do it!"

Showing off my superior strength, I held Gray in a chokehold while Lucy fetched the sauce. She mumbled Gray a quick apology before pouring a small amount into a cup and bringing it to his lips and pouring it into his mouth. The boy sputtered and coughed, grabbing his neck and rolling around on the floor in writhing agony.

"You're evil!" Gray hissed at me. I shrugged and smirked, moving on.

I could see the fear in everyone's faces. This sure was fun. Sadly, Lucy ended up picking the leader stick.

"Yay!" she exclaimed. "I order two and five to shake hands!"

"That's lame!" I shouted.

"But I'm the leader, so what I say goes!"

I grumbled watching Levy and Gray shaking hands. Luckily, I pulled the leader stick on the next one.

"I order one and two to hold hands the rest of the day." Juvia and Levy smiled and shrugged at each other and grabbed each other's hands happily. "Tsch. I was hoping one would be a boy while the other a girl."

This time Natsu was deemed the leader. A wicked grin graced his lips as he studied us all mischievously. I nodded, glad that somebody was getting into the fun of the game.

"I order number four to dump a bag of ice down their pants!" he exclaimed.

Lucy gasped and pleaded, "No! That's going to be so cold it'll hurt!"

Gray shrugged and replied, "Not really."

The blonde arched a brow and questioned, "How would you… Oh never mind." She quickly got a small bag of ice, turned away from us, and poured it down her shirt since she was wearing a skirt. "KYAAA! IT'S COLD AND IT MOST CERTAINLY DOES HURT! NATSU I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

The pinkette cackled on the floor, laughing at his friend's misery.

We went through many more rounds, most of which I miraculously ended up the leader. I embarrassed my friends many times throughout the day, I wished I took pictures. Finally, Gray pulled the leader stick for the first time and glanced at me with mischievous eyes. He must've seen my number.

" _Oh well, whatever it is can't be too bad,"_ I thought. After all, besides Natsu and Gajeel's, the dares ended up being way too innocent.

"I order number two," he began, staring at me, which informed me he did in fact see my number, "and number three to kiss!"

I shrugged while the rest of our friends gasped. I had no qualms doing such a petty action. Hell, I would have no problem stripping if dared; I never turned down a challenge. That is, until I found Jellal meekly raising his hand.

"I-I'm number three," he stated with flaming cheeks.

My cheeks flooded with warmth while my jaw dropped to the floor. Of all people it had to be Jellal? Not that he was a terrible kisser- I would know- but that would just be awkward. After all, we just recently became somewhat friends again.

"I-I think that's enough of this game," I stammered.

"NO WAY!" the rest of our friends screeched.

"Sorry, Erza!" Levy unapologetically said. "The master's orders are absolute, remember?"

"Pucker up, Erza!" Lucy added.

I would definitely have to punish them later. But for now… I turned to face Jellal, who had yet to stop blushing. I wondered what he thought about it. Did he have a problem with it? Did he not want to kiss me?

"D-Do you m-mind?" I stuttered.

Jellal shook his head no so quickly, it caused my heart to flutter seeing just how alright he was. In fact, it looked like he _wanted_ to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss him. Did he still feel the same way towards me as I did him? There was only one way to find out.

Leaning towards him, I slowly brought my lips towards his. My eyes slowly drooped closed, but just before they did, I saw Jellal lean in. My heart was beating erratically as I could feel his cool breath fan my face. So close. We were so close to kissing.

Finally, our lips collided softly, molding together as if we hadn't stopped years ago. As if we were back in the days where we were slowly falling in love. It was like our first kiss all over again. Sweet and blissful. He drew in my bottom lip while his hand came up to cradle my face and pull it closer to deepen the kiss. My brain was short-circuiting with how much I realized I wanted this.

Finally pulling away, we stared into each other's eyes, searching for answers to unasked questions. Our cheeks were flushed and we were panting. How long had that kiss lasted? Facing our friends, I saw they were all staring at us with wide eyes and blushing faces.

"I-I think that's enough of this game," I announced with a shaky voice. "Let's play a different game."

And with that, we sat in a circle playing Pictionary. Most of our drawings were terrible and we weren't making much progress, but I didn't notice any of that. What I did notice was the way Jellal's thigh was flushed against mine the entire time.

 **AN:** Wow what an awesome way to go on break, with a Jerza kiss haha! Hope you all liked that chapter as much as I did! Enjoy your breaks! :D

 **FireShifter:** I do too! Lucy deserves some time to be silly with her friends! :') And good prediction, we'll have to see! ;D

 **SingingAngel327:** I KNOW, JELLAL WAS SUCH A BUTT. BUT AT LEAST HE'S BETTER NOW. And I haven't decided yet if I want Loke to be in their school. I know he will be in future chapters but I don't think I will have him transfer to their school!

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** "You have to Juvia that shit and be proud of it!" I freaking love that line. I want it on a T shirt it made me laugh so hard lmao. And thank you so much. :')

 **Lunahartz:** I know, Nalu is such a slow burn haha! And thanks, sis! Enjoy your break! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Ahhh thank you so much! :') And now there was a Jerza kiss, so that's exciting! :D

 **Twolanterns:** Aww haha I'm glad you like it! :D I know some people don't like me replying to reviews in the chapters, but I want to thank people and I don't want to PM everyone haha! Sadly in my next story I don't think that I will be replying to reviews, but I will finish this story with replies! :D

 **IndianaCombs:** She is not good at prank calls at all lmao. And I think I will add an OVA! Maybe one for each character haha! That sounds interesting! Thanks for the idea! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh I am totally a pessimist too. But when talking about the underlying meaning of life I like to pretend to be optimistic lmao. :')

 **Avhaskake:** I described the mansion more in this chapter! Hope that was enough! :) And I'm glad you liked it! :D

 **MidwardSlash:** If you're talking about what the guys said about Lucy, they didn't mean that they were going to drop Natsu as a friend! They meant that even if something happens between them, they're still going to be friends with Lucy too! Sorry, I should've been more clear maybe! Thanks for the review! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I KNOW I KEPT YOU WAITING LONG ENOUGH HAHA.

 **Nalulove:** I know! I feel like I can't even blame him for that! And thank you! :)

 **Luna:** Ahh you play that game? I don't, but my sister does and she loves it! And this is a very unpopular opinion for my Naruto ship, but I actually ship Naruto and Sakura. I never finished the series so I'm sure there's stuff that happens between Naruto and Hinata eventually but I never got to it so I can't say that I ship them. And Naruto and Sakura are like best friends that have been through so much together after Sasuke. But I also ship Sasuke and Sakura. Agh I like this question, it makes me think.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** Hello everyone! Merry Christmas. :) I'm glad to be updating again! :D

Chapter 15

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Sunday)_

I woke up early and quickly got out of bed. After feeding Happy and playing with him for a bit, I threw on a pair of gym shorts and a basic tee, one that had a dragon on it of course. I scarfed down my cup of instant noodles before heading out and starting my day.

Tomorrow was the day of our contest. They rest of the guys and I hadn't trained at all seeing that there was no need to, but now I felt a little worried. Erza had a chance at beating Jellal. Luckily Gray was captain of the swim team, there was no way he would lose against Juvia. Especially since she would probably just gush over him shirtless the entire time. That left Gajeel and I.

There was no doubt in my mind that Gajeel was stronger than Levy. I mean, the girl looked like she was fifty pounds, there was no way she could lift that much weight. And Gajeel was a beast in the gym. Though I'd never admit it, he could out-lift me any day.

My problem was their new "relationship." What if Levy seduced him into giving her the win? That would mean that the girls would get close to winning, and because of that I was paranoid of Lucy beating me. I couldn't let that happen. Thus, I began running through the town to train.

Soccer was more than just running fast, there was a lot to it. Strategies, aim, and so much more. But since it was just Lucy and I, I wouldn't have to focus too much on strategies and my aim was good enough. So, I was going to excel even more in speed.

I would be lying if I said I was doing this because I didn't want to go to the Crocus Garden. Sure, looking at a bunch of plants would be boring, but I'm sure that I would have fun as long as Lucy was with me. I just wanted to win and see Lucy's pouty face. Not to mention the fact that if I won, she would have to uphold our bet and take me out to dinner.

" _That's not a date,"_ I told myself as I continued to run, though my mind was focused on other things now. " _It's just her losing and taking me out to eat. There's no way I would ever go on a date with anyone!"_

Honestly, I didn't know why the bet was so important to me now. After all, I made it in the first place to make sure Lucy would spend time with me even after our contest was over. Now, however, I was pretty sure she would hang out with me regardless.

Coming back to reality, I saw a familiar building come into view and I started to panic. It had been years since I went there last and I certainly wasn't going to go today. So, I crossed the street and avoided it altogether.

"Oi, Natsu!" an annoyingly familiar voice called out.

I stopped running and turned to find Gray standing outside of Freezies. "What do you want, Ice Prick," I asked.

Gray narrowed his eyes at me and replied, "You're lucky I'm on the clock right now. What are you doing over here?"

"Running. I haven't gone running in a while."

Gray smirked and asked, "Scared of losing to Lucy?"

I scoffed and answered, "No way!"

"So, you're running this way because you didn't wanna pass by them, huh?"

"Shut up."

"You're gonna have to deal with it eventually, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Someday I will."

"Why not today?"

I shrugged and answered, "I'm running."

And before Gray could reply, I jogged away, not wanting to talk about it anymore. One day I would deal with Lisanna, but not today.

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

"What are you doing here, Shrimp?" Gajeel asked as he opened his door.

I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms. "Don't call me that!"

We stared each other down, feeling the tension in the air. It was awkward standing in front of Gajeel like this ever since our kiss on Friday. It was alright when we were at Lucy's, but that was because there were so many people. Now with just the two of us, I was reminded of my insecurities.

During the kiss, I assumed Gajeel felt the same way considering he kissed back and all. Yet at Lucy's house, he never really acknowledged me. And he hadn't texted me once during the weekend. I was beginning to think he only kissed back out of pity.

"I'm here to tutor you," I lied, sidestepping him and entering the apartment. I was surprised it was clean considering the boys spent the night on Friday.

"You never tutor me on the weekends," Gajeel replied with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"W-Well, I figured that since there's a test this week-"

"There's no test."

"Agh, can't I just come over to spend time with you without you questioning me!?" I questioned irately. Sheesh, he really knew how to get under my skin.

Gajeel smirked and answered, "Nah. It's fun gettin' you all riled up.

I sighed in annoyance and made my way to his room. I had only been here a few times and yet I felt so comfortable. I could tell Gajeel was annoyed at first with me entering his room but he didn't say anything or kick me out so I took that as a good sign.

I plopped on his bed and smiled at his room. It was so different than mine. Mine was filled with books everywhere and my walls were covered in academic awards I received over the years. Wow, I really was a nerd. Anyways, Gajeel's was much more personalized with band posters and what looked like a recording device for his music.

"Play me a song," I demanded, gesturing towards the guitar propped in the corner of his room.

Gajeel sighed but obeyed. He sat on his chair and strummed the guitar, creating beautiful notes I could never hope to make. I knew every string on a guitar, every key on a piano, and every hole on a clarinet, yet I could never masterfully play something.

Gajeel's playing wasn't bad in the slightest. It was clear he knew exactly how to play the guitar and he strummed a familiar rock song I couldn't quite put my finger on. However, his _singing_ … That wasn't too good. But I would never say that aloud, not wanting to hurt his feelings, especially since he had the courage to play in front of me.

I was entranced by his playing. He looked so at peace, it was a new sight to see. Usually he was grumpy or mischievous, but now he was in his own zone. No wonder why I fell for him so quickly.

Reminded of all my negative thoughts, I snapped out of my trance and gripped the hem of my orange dress tightly. I stared into my lap, wondering one thing: what did Gajeel think about the kiss?

I enjoyed kissing him. His lips were rough and chapped but so passionate. Could he have faked that passion? Was I a bad kisser? Did he truly kiss me out of pity? All of these thoughts circled in my mind, I didn't even notice Gajeel had stopped playing and stared at me.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked suddenly, causing me to squeak and lift my head quickly.

"N-Nothing!" I lied with a flushed face. Gajeel glared at me, silently demanding me to tell the truth. "I-I was just wondering… W-What did that kiss mean to you?" Gajeel stayed silent while I continued, "Was it out of pity? Did you feel sorry for me that you decided to play along?" I didn't even realize I started crying until I felt something wet land on my hand.

"You're an idiot," Gajeel said, staring at me with narrowed eyes. "You really think I would do something like that?"

"I-I don't know…"

"When I do something, I mean it."

"S-So then our kiss-"

"I meant it."

I stared into Gajeel's eyes, my own wide with surprise. His cheeks were flushed but I could tell he was completely serious.

"D-Did you think it was good?" I finally asked, averting my gaze. "That was my first kiss, so I'm not too experienced…"

Gajeel looked away as well and answered, "Best kiss I've ever had."

"So you've been kissed before?"

"Sadly."

"But I was the best?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

I smiled shyly as a burst of happiness erupted inside me. Along with that burst of happiness was a burst of confidence as I walked over and quickly planted my lips onto his. I realized I was always making the first move again but I didn't care so long as Gajeel's lips were on mine. Our lips absorbed each other with such fierceness it made my heart light.

Taking it to a whole other level, Gajeel wrapped his arms around my waist, hoisting me from the ground as he stood from his chair, making sure our kisses weren't interrupted. Then he plopped me onto the bed and stared at me with a flushed face and hard eyes. Not wanting it to end yet, I grabbed his collar and pulled him onto the bed with me, once again locking our lips together.

We continued to kiss and explore each other. My hands wound up in his long hair while his stayed rested on my hips. I didn't even realize how fast we were taking things because I was so caught up in the moment, until I felt something enter my mouth and graze my tongue.

I squeaked and sat straight up, my face flaming with heat. Gajeel's tongue grazing mine wasn't a bad experience, but it was definitely something that I wasn't used to and it gave me a chance to see how far we were taking things.

"M-Maybe we should slow down," I embarrassedly suggested, my breath choppy.

"Yeah," Gajeel grunted. "S-Sorry if I'm rushing-"

"No, don't apologize! We were both a little too caught up in the moment!"

I smiled at Gajeel, who sat up as well and returned the smile.

"You're too good for me," he replied, leaning towards me with lidded eyes.

"Maybe."

Our lips met once again, though this time much softer as if we had all the time in the world to explore each other, which was true. There was no need to rush things.

Suddenly, Gajeel's door burst open. I squealed and pushed Gajeel away from me to glance at the intruder, who was an older woman with graying hair and a stern expression. I figured it was Gajeel's grandmother and covered my hands in mortification. Surely being caught kissing on his bed wasn't a good first impression.

"Can't you knock, old hag!?" Gajeel barked with an equally blushing face.

The woman glanced between us and replied, "You got a girl to kiss you? Perhaps you aren't as much of a brat as I thought."

"Oi, hush! What were you doing barging into my room anyways!?"

"I came to inform you I cooked dinner. I was aware you had company but I thought it was Natsu or one of the other boys you hang out with. I definitely wasn't expecting a punk like you to be kissing a nice looking girl in your bed."

Gajeel groaned while I stifled a chuckle.

The woman smirked and left the room, closing the door on the way out as she informed us, "Dinner is ready. Have your girlfriend stay with us."

With that, we sat on Gajeel's bed, practically frozen stiff. Though it was embarrassing, I couldn't help but smile. She called me Gajeel's girlfriend and smiled! That was a sign of approval, right?

I giggled and hopped off the bed. "Is she your grandmother? She seems nice."

Gajeel sighed and shook his head. "Nah. Well, not technically. I consider her that, though. She found me on the streets and took me in. She doesn't charge rent or anything. She put a roof over my head and fed me while expecting nothing in return. I plan on making it up to her one day."

I smiled and replied, "I'm sure you will. Now, you heard her. How about you lead your _girlfriend_ to the dinner table, hmm?"

Gajeel blanched and shouted, "You aren't my girlfriend!"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, boyfriend."

I was about to leave the room before Gajeel grabbed my wrist, turned me around, and crashed his lips on mine in a chaste kiss. He pulled away, wearing a heavy smirk.

"Alright, _girlfriend_ ," he began, "just know that you gave yourself that title, so now you're stuck with it. No going back now."

"O-Okay," I squeaked. My heart was jumping in my chest, light as a feather.

And now, I was no longer just reading about romances. I was living my own.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I sat on my bed, staring at my phone with a pout. I tried texting Natsu for a while, only to receive one-worded replies for the most part. There was something wrong with him; I knew that, but didn't know how to go about it.

So, I kept it simple.

"Are you okay?" I typed, sending it before I could change my mind.

"Yeah," he replied almost instantly.

I frowned and sent, "Doesn't seem like it."

"Ehh, it's a long story. Don't worry about it. You should worry about our match instead. Our contest is starting tomorrow! You scared? ;)"

"As if! -_- Besides, I'm pretty sure our match isn't until Thursday! That gives me a bunch of time to practice!"

"Practicing ain't gonna be enough, Luce! Who's going tomorrow anyways?"

"Gray and Juvia! That'll be very interesting to watch! But it'll be over in a matter of seconds. :)"

"Oi, shouldn't you have more faith in Juvia?"

"Oh, believe me I do." After sending that text, Virgo entered to inform me my father was back from his business trip. "I gotta go now. I'll see you tomorrow! Night, Natsu!"

"Later, Luce."

With that, I set my phone on my nightstand and exited my room. My stomach was practically doing flips while my body perspired. This weekend was the first time I ever invited friends over and I did it without my father's permission. I would definitely be in a world of trouble if he found out.

I spent the entire morning cleaning the house though to get rid of any evidence. Hopefully I didn't skip over anything.

"It's nice to see you, father," I greeted with a surprisingly steady voice. This was my first time seeing him since I stormed out of his office.

Jude glanced at me and looked away again while replying, "You too. Did you do your homework?"

I wordlessly nodded and watched as my father walked through the kitchen, and that's when I saw it. A cute doodle of the girls and I stuck to the fridge. I completely forgot Levy and the others put it there to commemorate the night. If my father saw it, there would be no way he wouldn't figure out what transpired over the weekend.

My armpits and palms were practically drenched with sweat as I watched my father walk past the fridge to place his briefcase on his counter while he spoke with Capricorn. I wanted to walk over and snatch the picture but that would be too obvious. Thus, I could only watch as my father continued to pace back and forth, giving me heart attacks each time he passed the fridge.

"I will be going to my study now," he said, walking for the fridge for the last time.

I breathed a sigh of relief believing that my torment was over until I saw my dad's head turn to face the fridge. He seemed to be staring at the picture with curious eyes. Virgo and Capricorn stared back at me with worried gazes. I swallowed thickly, waiting for his reaction. I knew he saw it and I was just waiting for my punishment.

Yet punishment never came.

Jude faced forward once again and simply glanced at me with an arched brow. I could see the recognition in his eyes, knowing that he knew I didn't draw that. And by the way he now glanced around the house, I could tell he knew that the girls in the drawing were indeed here. Yet he continued his walk to his study without saying anything.

 _"He didn't punish me,"_ I thought, frozen in my spot with shock. _"Maybe he's actually trying to get better."_

With a small smile, I turned and headed back to my room. The road to recovery of my relationship with my father was going to be a long one, but this was definitely a good start. I could only hope it continued to get better.

Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling in thought. Our contest with the boys was starting tomorrow and even though I was now friends with them, that didn't mean I didn't want to go to the Crocus Garden anymore. If anything, I wanted to go even more because I wanted to beat them so badly. With an excited grin plastered to my face, I closed my eyes and lolled to sleep with one thought in mind.

" _This is war."_

* * *

OVA 1

Gajeel and the Spoon

 _Gajeel P.O.V. (Two years ago)_

After a long day of work at the shop, I stormed the kitchen looking for something good to eat. Unfortunately, the old hag only had ingredients for meals I actually had to cook. And I definitely don't cook. My stomach was practically yelling at me I was so hungry. I ended up skipping school that day and working instead.

Working in the car shop was one of the highlights in my life. Most people wanted to go to school or whatever, but not me. Why would I want to go to _another_ school when I already hated high school? Besides, all I enjoyed doing was working on mechanics and working on my songs, but I wasn't about to make a life doing the latter. I was good at it and it calmed me down.

After settling for a bowl of cereal, I went to my room and sat at my desk, which was covered with a bunch of metal I was trying to design into a dragon. I hadn't officially started, so they were only scraps of metal at the time. Finishing my bowl of cereal, I found that I was still hungry but too lazy to get seconds. My eyes lingered on the spoon that was swimming in my bowl of milk.

Whenever a kid watched TV, they would always wanna eat the food they saw, like cakes and cookies or whatever. Not me. I found that as much as I liked working with metal, I had the strange urge to eat it. Not like there was anything wrong with it. Shouldn't I know what it tasted like since I worked with it everyday?

Checking to make sure the door was closed, I picked up the spoon and studied it some more. My stomach growled again. I put the end of the spoon in my mouth before biting it off- it was a lot easier than I thought. Maybe I just had really sharp teeth. It had a strange taste, one that I couldn't describe, but...

" _It's actually pretty good."_

I then munched on the rest of the spoon, not hearing the footsteps in the apartment until it was too late. My door was thrown open, revealing Natsu.

"Yo, Gajeel! Let's play some Call of Duty! I got a new- are you eating a spoon?"

I stared at Natsu with wide eyes before coughing out the metal. "Uhh, no."

"You sure?"

"Obviously."

Natsu stared at me for a while before grinning mischievously. "I'm gonna hold his over you for a long time. Now let's go play." He then walked out of my room and into my living room.

" _Damn it."_ I eyed the scraps of metal on my desk and popped it into my mouth like a chip. " _Yeah, that's pretty damn good."_

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked it as much as I did! :) That Gavejy was my favorite part haha! :D And you also got our first OVA! Every character will get one! :) Since it's Christmas, here's a sneak peek of the next chapter:

 _I nodded and left my father's study, breathing a sigh of relief once I closed the door behind me. A small smile graced my lips as I stood still. My father was trying, and for the first time in so long, I saw progress. Sure, I had to lie a lot, but it was still progress, right?_

Looks like something happens between Lucy and her dad next chapter! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Ahh you're so sweet! :') And lmao your comment about the Jerza kiss had me dying. Thanks for the review! :D

 **Cureheart1023:** Yep! That's what it was supposed to represent! :) Thanks for the review. :)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much! :D I did have a great time. :) And looks like he found out but she didn't get in trouble! :D

 **Avhaskake:** I'm glad I described the mansion better that chapter. :) THANK YOU AS ALWAYS!

 **Lunahartz:** AHH THANK YOU AND HELLO SIS I AM BACK!

 **CRaZieSt aNgEl eVeR:** Thank you so much I'm glad you enjoyed! :D

 **Minato of the Sharingan:** I was wondering which scene you were talking about exactly so I can know more about this omake suggestion! I do plan on making them for this story! :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** LMAO THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 **SingingAngel327:** HAHAHA I KNOW RIGHT, JUST LIKE THE MANGA! And they aren't canon yet but they will be eventually! ;D And interesting prediction, we'll just have to see! :D

 **Katiesmo:** Hey you're awesome! :D Haha thanks for the review! :)

 **Nalulove:** I agree! I will work on pacing more in the future. :)

 **MirrorFlame:** Hahaha nothing is wrong with that! I think pessimists are more realistic. ;)

 **IndianaCombs:** I honestly don't have any ideas for the rest of the characters yet! If you think of any let me know! :) And we have some of the good stuff so far, but not a lot! ;D

 **Prince of Darkness Daige:** I'm glad you saw my reply to your review! Thank you again for reviewing! :)

 **LunafreyaLuna:** I do love Sasuke and Sakura together too haha! But I also have a love for Naruto and Sakura since I haven't seen his interactions with Hinata yet. :') AND HAHA THAT'S AN AWESOME QUESTION. I think I would give up anime and whatnot. I don't wanna be stuck on an island where I have to eat my own waste haha!

 **HippyCat7484:** OMG YES! It is my absolute favorite book of all time and I use it as a reference in a lot of my fics haha! You're literally the only person that saw it! :D And thank you so much! :)


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** I will be going back to my scheduled days now, Monday and Thursday! Anyways, the contest is officially starting! :D

Chapter 16

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Monday)_

I woke up that morning with a profound giddiness. Before I wouldn't have called myself a morning person, but since I started hanging out with Natsu and the others, I couldn't help but wake up with an excited smile. My days were just so much brighter now. Levy and the others were great and all, but now that our group has expanded, it's only gotten better.

But friendship with the boys had to be nonexistent today. We had a war to begin.

Since Juvia's match with Gray was first, I didn't have to worry about my match with Natsu for a little bit. Though I trained a bit, I had absolutely no hope that I was going to win. How could I? He was captain of the soccer team and I am the girl that can't run a simple lap without feeling the urge to pass out.

" _I'll think of something,"_ I thought as I left my room, now dressed and ready to go.

"Princess, your father would like to speak to you," Virgo stated once she caught sight of me.

I sighed and nodded, following the eccentric maid through the mansion and towards my father's study. Knocking once, I didn't even wait until he beckoned me to enter and instead walked in on my own accord. It was a small feat, but it made me feel I had at least _some_ control.

My father glanced at me from his desk. It was the first time we were going to have a real conversation since the day he told me he wasn't going to arrange my marriage anymore. The short conversation from last night didn't count.

" _He better not have changed his mind,"_ I thought bitterly.

"Lucy," Jude began, putting his papers back on his desk, "it is rude to enter without being told to."

"My apologies," I replied, though I could tell he knew I didn't mean that. I contained my smirk. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Jude frowned and answered, "I just wanted to see how you were doing, is all."

My eyes widened as I took in my father's somewhat embarrassed expression. He was _trying_! Though, he was definitely not completely comfortable with it as he organized his desk to avoid making eye contact.

"I am doing well," I answered. "I-I made friends."

Father raised a brow and replied, "Intelligent friends, I would hope."

"Of course, Father."

"How are your grades?"

My palms immediately began to sweat as I hesitated to answer. My grades hadn't exactly been the best. I supposed ever since I began hanging out with Natsu, I became too distracted. My grade in Math went all the way down to a C+. That wasn't good at all in my father's eyes. Hell, even to me it wasn't good enough. Not to mention the B- in Chemistry.

"They're good," I lied.

Unfortunately, my father noticed the hesitation and long pause it took before my answer. He stared up at me with hard eyes.

"Tell the truth," he said. "What are your grades?"

"I-I have a B in Math," I lied. I knew he wouldn't be happy with a B but it was way better than the truth.

"Is it because of these _friends_ you've been hanging out with? If so-"

"No!" I shouted. "I-It isn't them. It's me. It's just been getting a bit harder."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't tutor your classmates after school. It seems you are the one in need of tutoring."

"N-No, tutoring helps me," I lied. "It makes me realize what I mess up!"

Jude arched a brow. I could tell he was suspicious but thankfully he didn't question me any more on the matter.

"Alright," he said. "You should get going to school before you're late."

I nodded and left my father's study, breathing a sigh of relief once I closed the door behind me. A small smile graced my lips as I stood still. My father was trying, and for the first time in so long, I saw progress. Sure, I had to lie a lot, but it was still progress, right?

" _All I have to do is get my grades up before he finds out!"_

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

I groaned and slammed my head on my desk, no longer able to deal with Erza and her over-achiever personality. She wanted to do our project on _knights_ of all things. Knights weren't even a thing anymore! That's like medieval stuff! She didn't even listen to me when I suggested we do our project on pyrography!

"Natsu, get up! We have much work to do!" Erza demanded.

"No we don't," I replied. "If we just keep it simple like everyone else, we'd be almost finished!"

"I already told you that was must go above and beyond!"

" _You_ must go above and beyond. I'm fine staying average."

Erza glared at me and I could see the underlying threat in her eyes. I gulped and sat up, not wanting to get in a fight with the redheaded demon. Not like I would lose or anything, I just wanted to save my energy for the match with Lucy on Thursday. Yeah, that's it.

"Fine," I groaned. " _At least she's doing most of the work."_

Which was true. Erza didn't like what I did with the script- making the knights lose to a fearsome dragon- and she said my vocabulary wasn't good enough to write the paper. So, all I did was help with the research, jot down things that I found interesting. Which wasn't that much. I only liked the tales where they would go up against a dragon. But then for some reason they would actually _win._ As if that would happen. A dragon would destroy them before they even got the chance to draw their swords.

When the lunch bell rang, I cheered and dashed away from my spot to sit by Lucy, who smiled at me.

"How's your project with Erza?" she asked.

I groaned and answered, "Terrible."

"Why? Can't understand a word you're reading?" Gray quipped.

I raised a fist, about to punch the idiot before Erza loomed over both of us with a menacing glare.

"You two aren't _fighting,_ are you?" she asked.

Gray and I hugged each other, ignoring our inward disgust.

"No way!" we replied together. "We're the best of friends!"

Erza smiled and nodded. "Good. I am glad to hear that."

Once she began talking to Jellal, I pushed Gray off of me and shivered with disgust.

"Yuck," I said, wiping my clothes to disinfect myself. "I got Ice Princess' germs all over me."

"I could say the same about you," Gray replied, wiping himself too.

"I feel bad for Juvia. She has to share a pool with you. I could only imagine how many Ice Prick germs are gonna crawl all over her."

"Juvia doesn't mind Gray-sama's germs!" the strange girl shouted. Juvia was definitely the weirdest girl of the group. Well, besides Lucy. Nobody could beat Lucy.

"Oh yeah!" the other blue-headed girl, Levy, exclaimed. "Gray and Juvia are going against each other today!"

"Didja forget?" Gajeel questioned.

Gray smirked at Juvia and said, "No hard feelings, Juvia."

Surprisingly, Juvia returned the look. Maybe she wasn't too head-over-heels over the stripper like I thought. She actually had a backbone in her.

"Juvia would hope so," she said.

"Do you actually think you're going to win?" I asked her with a grin. "Gray is captain of the swim team. As much as I hate to admit it, he's pretty decent in the water."

"Juvia never said she thought she would win. But Juvia never said she would lose either."

The girls snickered. I assumed they were just acting tough to preserve their dignity. After all, they were going to get destroyed, starting with Juvia.

Or so I thought.

* * *

 _Gray P.O.V._

Once school finally ended, the boys and I walked to the boys' locker room next to the pool while the girls followed Juvia to the girls' locker room. I threw on my swim trunks in the stall while the guys waited for me.

"Are you going to need your goggles?" Jellal asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, it's just three laps around the pool. Shouldn't take too long. And knowing Juvia, she probably won't even try in the first place."

"True," Natsu agreed. "She's probably just gonna swoon over you the whole time."

I heard a familiar _gihi_ laugh and turned to the culprit.

"What's so funny, Gajeel?" I asked.

"You'll see," he replied, leading the way out of the locker room.

The rest of the boys and I shrugged. When we got to the pool, we found the girls weren't there yet. I figured they would take longer. After all, living with Ultear made me realize that girls take forever getting ready.

Soon enough, we heard laughter coming from the entrance. I turned to find Juvia and the others walking in, laughing about something I didn't know. My heart stopped at the sight of Juvia. Her long blue hair was tied into a big bun above her head while she wore one of the standard female swimsuits, a navy blue one-piece.

Usually the swimsuits weren't too appealing. They were bland and nothing stood out. But I had to admit that Juvia looked like a model or something. Her long creamy legs gleamed under the light, looking incredibly soft. And I'm not gonna lie, her chest was catching my attention too.

With flushed cheeks, I quickly turned my head away, forcing those thoughts out of my head. What was wrong with me? Why was Juvia making me feel like this? I used to think she was weird and even contemplated getting a restraining order with how stalkerish she was. But now my heart was doing all the stupid things I read about in my research with Lucy.

" _I knew I should've stayed away from her,"_ I thought, clenching my fists by my side. I wasn't stupid. Unlike Natsu, I wasn't dense. I knew exactly what these feelings meant.

I was falling for her.

" _This isn't good. I wanted to stay away from her to prevent this! Now look at me!"_

"Gray-sama?" a light voice called out, laced with concern. I turned around to find Juvia staring at me with a frown. "Is Gray-sama alright?"

She reached out to me, about to place her hand on my shoulder. I jerked away before she could, noticing the pain that flashed in her eyes after I did so.

"I'm fine," I answered, colder than I expected.

Juvia nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. I could see tears welling in her eyes and I mentally cursed myself. I didn't want to make her cry. But maybe this was for the best. If I kept playing the bad guy, she would move on and I wouldn't get too attached. I wouldn't fall in love with her and I wouldn't lose her.

I glanced around, noticing the way most people either looked away from the awkward situation, or were glaring at me, like Lucy and Gajeel.

With a sigh, I said, "Let's get this over with."

Juvia nodded and wordlessly followed me into the pool.

"First one to reach the opposite wall and back three times is the winner," I told her. "You have to touch the wall before coming back, alright?"

Juvia nodded. I could see the determination in her eyes. I liked when Juvia was determined for herself. It was refreshing.

"On the count of three!" Lucy exclaimed with a huge grin. "One…" I could hear Erza and Levy snicker. "Two…"

"Hey, Gray!" Gajeel called out. I could see him smirking like the girls. "I won't blame you when you lose!"

"Huh?" I questioned.

"Like I said before, you'll see!"

The girls laughed and I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't care. I just wanted to win this so I could go mope at home.

"THREE!" Lucy shouted.

And with that, I kicked myself off the wall and swam as fast as I could to the other side, not paying any attention to Juvia. I reached the other wall in a matter of seconds. Before kicking myself off of it to propel myself to go faster, I glanced around to find Juvia, expecting her to still be swimming towards me. To my complete and utter surprise- along with Natsu's and Jellal's- Juvia was already swimming to the wall I was supposed to! And she was _ahead_ of me!

I kicked off the wall with all my might, shooting myself to go fast. Sure enough, I did and I was only a few feet behind Juvia. When she approached our original wall, she kicked off of it too, though hers didn't have enough strength.

" _I will win this!"_ I thought, finding her weakness.

Though I soon found out I couldn't even consider it a weakness, because though she lacked some strength- not much- kicking off the wall, she made up for it with her swimming speed. How was I, captain of the freaking swim team, losing to Juvia of all people!?

I continued to kick my legs and swim as fast as I could, trying to catch up to Juvia, but it was useless. It was like the girl was just gliding through the water. She didn't even kick as much yet she was so fast. It was like she was a mermaid or something.

My heart warmed with adoration. Juvia really was something special, so full of surprises. After all, who knew she was such an amazing swimmer? Well, apparently the girls and Gajeel did. I stole glances of her every time I bobbed my head above the water and every time she was ahead of me, swimming effortlessly. I could feel myself falling even harder for her.

It was then that I realized I didn't want to distance myself from Juvia. Even if it only turns out terrible like every other relationship I had in my life- most prominently the one with my parents and Ur- I still wanted to enjoy what I could with her. I wanted to learn more about her and spend whatever time I could with her. And that's exactly what I was going to do.

"JUVIA IS THE WINNER!" Lucy exclaimed once Juvia tapped the original wall with her finger. She emerged from the water with a victorious smirk, one that was rare from the girl. One that made me fall for her even harder.

"I can't believe Gray lost," Jellal said.

"I knew he was useless, but I didn't think he would be _that_ useless," Natsu added.

"Gihi!" Gajeel laughed.

I ignored them and stared at Juvia as she got out of the pool. She walked quickly towards her friends, who pulled her in for a group hug. They jumped and shouted in delight, bringing a smile to our faces at their antics.

I quickly got out of the pool and raced towards Juvia, luckily not slipping. For some reason she was leading the way out of the pool quickly. I grabbed her wrist and carefully turned her around.

With a grin, I exclaimed, "That was amazing, Juvia!"

The girl blushed and looked away with a frown. "Thank you."

"Why aren't you on the team if you're so good at swimming? You could be the new team captain if you wanted!"

"Juvia entered school too late for tryouts. Juvia is fine swimming on her free time. Now if you'll excuse Juvia," she began snatching her arm out of my grasp, "Juvia is going to go home."

With that, I watched as Juvia walked away, followed by Erza and Levy, who frowned at me pitifully.

Lucy placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and stated, "I'm still rooting for you, but you so asked for that one." Then she jogged to catch up with the rest of the girls.

I sighed, sitting on the edge of the pool, letting my feet dangle in the water. After I finally decided to let someone in, I ended up ruining it. The guys glanced worriedly at each other before Natsu led the way out of the pool, correctly figuring I wanted to be alone.

" _Maybe it's for the best this way,"_ I thought for the second time that day. _"I'm just not meant for love."_

 **AN:** Some rockiness for Gruvia thanks to Gray! Whose contest will be next? :D Btw, I'm going to be posting a new Nalu story later! It's a fairytale AU so if you're into that, you should check it out! :D

 **Lunahartz:** I missed you too sis. :') Glad you stuck around. :')

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU SO MUCH LOL. Every character will have one, I'm deciding if I want all to be carefree like Gajeel's or if some of them should be sad.

 **Nalulove:** Thank you I hope you enjoyed yours too. :)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you I hope you liked it! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Lol Gajeel is great. One of my favs. Thank you for the review! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** It wasn't anything too serious... _yet._ ;D And yes Gajevy is CANON :D

 **IndianaCombs:** I'm glad you enjoyed the first OVA! :D I already know what I'm doing with Levy's but I don't know if I want the rest of them to be happy or sad. I think I want happy. And it'll truthfully be a while from now until you find out about Lisanna. But I promise there is a bunch of good stuff to keep you interested until then! :D

 **LunaLunafreya:** Thank you so much I'm glad you like my stories. :') And lmao these questions never fail to entertain me, even on shitty days. I'm going to assume the good wire would be your favorite character, and I'm guessing that since you said you love Sakura/Sasuke, your fav is one of them and I'm gonna go with him! So blue! :D


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** So we had some Gruvia drama last time, let's see what ship I can momentarily destroy this time. :')

Chapter 17

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Tuesday)_

The morning went by quickly for me. Surprisingly, my father wanted to speak to me yet again. He asked the same questions as yesterday, questions more towards my academic standing rather than about my emotional wellbeing. I had to lie to him again, of course. But hey, it was progress.

I yawned endlessly during the short drive to Fairy Tail Academy. Capricorn glanced at me with an arched brow and turned his attention back to the road.

"Did you not sleep well last night, Miss Lucy?" he asked.

"You have no idea," I answered.

 _After Juvia beat Gray in their swimming match, the girls and I decided to go to Levy's place before being picked up- I sent a text to Capricorn telling him where to pick me up. It was my first time at Levy's place, or any of my friends' houses besides Natsu's, surprisingly. Levy's parents opened the door with wide, welcoming smiles, gushing over how happy they were to see Levy bringing home friends._

 _Levy's dad was an average sized man with navy blue hair, almost black. He had a bushy mustache like my father's, though not as well trimmed. He also had a round belly, adorned in an argyle sweater, khakis covering his legs and wide, square glasses in front of his eyes._

 _Levy's mother was breathtaking, pretty much an older version of Levy. She had long, straight blue hair, the same color as Levy's. Her eyes were big and brown, her skin only slightly wrinkled. She, too, had glasses, though hers were smaller and oval shaped. She was wearing an orange sweater covered with a daisy-print apron._

 _I took a deep breath, noticing a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. Cookies. Glancing around, I saw that the home was rather small, but undoubtedly cozy. Besides, there were only three of them, it wasn't as if they needed a mansion._

 _This was what a loving home was supposed to be like._

 _After greeting Levy's parents and taking a few cookies, the rest of the girls and I went to Levy's room and my jaw dropped on its hinges. There were so many books! Some on her nightstand, on her bed, on her desk, and she even had shelves upon shelves stocked with books! It was heaven. I would've checked them out but there was a task at hand._

 _"Are you alright, Juvia?" Levy asked, placing a comforting hand on the said girl's shoulder._

 _The girl shook her head, tears quickly forming in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, and answered, "No. Juvia is upset with Gray-sama. His emotions are like the weather, unpredictable. He is nice to Juvia some days and cold others. Juvia is giving up her love with Gray-sama. Juvia cannot handle this pain."_

 _"He was awfully rude earlier," Erza replied. "Perhaps I should beat some sense into him."_

 _"Erza!" Levy chided. "Beating people up isn't always going to fix things!"_

 _"Fixed my problems up until now."_

 _I sighed and turned my attention on the distraught girl in front of me, who had snot dripping from her nose and tears cascading from her eyes. All of this over a boy. Maybe it's a good thing I hadn't found love yet. After all, if it was this painful, why fall in love in the first place? Wouldn't it be better to just be alone?_

 _Despite those questions, I couldn't help but say, "I don't think you should give up, Juvia."_

 _The said girl looked at me with wide, questioning eyes. "Why not?"_

 _Letting my mouth make words on its own, I answered, "Because you're in love with him. I don't think that you should give up on love. Besides, you aren't the type of person to give up. You're the most determined person I know!"_

 _"But Juvia doesn't want to be anymore! Juvia does not have a happy future with Gray-sama, Juvia should just give up!"_

 _I crouched in front of her- she was sitting on the bed- and replied, "I will support you either way. If you hate Gray and never wanna see him again, I will support you. If you want to keep trying and persevere, I will support you. But I truly believe Gray loves you. No, I know he does. He's just caging his heart."_

 _"Caging his heart? What do you mean?"_

 _"He's probably just afraid of getting hurt and pushes you away. I completely understand if that is too much for you to bear, but I know you two could have happiness. I know this with all my heart. Gray just needs time."_

 _Juvia wiped away her snot and tears and shook her head._

 _"Juvia is not sure she can give him that."_

 _After that, we played a bunch of games until Capricorn called me, telling me it was time to go. Even after I got home, the girls and I ended up Skyping until one in the morning._

After thanking Capricorn for the ride, I quickly walked into the classroom. Most of my friends were already here, the only one missing being Natsu, who was always stumbling in right before class started. I frowned seeing that Gray was seated in his spot in the opposite corner instead of sitting with us before class, like he usually did. Levy and Jellal looked worried while Erza and Gajeel seemed to think it was for the best.

"How are you?" I whispered to Juvia, who kept her gaze locked to her desk.

She forced a weak smile to her face and answered, "Juvia will be okay."

When we got into our groups, I could tell Gray was staring at me with curious, questioning eyes.

"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night," he said.

Sure enough, I yawned and replied, "Because I didn't. Needed to cheer Juvia up."

"She was upset?"

"Duh. How could she not be when the guy she's in love with can be a major jerk sometimes?" Gray winced and I admittedly felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a bit Juvia-biased. I'm sure you have your reasons for pushing Juvia away. You're probably just scared of being hurt, you seem like the type to be at least. But everyone's patience runs out at some point, Gray. Juvia finally reached her point."

The boy sighed and buried his face with his hands. "I don't know what to do."

"I don't know what you can do," I replied truthfully. "It depends on what you want."

"What I want?"

"Yep. Do you want to be with Juvia or not?"

"I-I don't know…"

I sighed and said, "Well until you figure that out, you're going to have to deal with Juvia needing some space. I think you know what you want, you just don't want to admit it."

Gray scoffed and replied, "Funny hearing that from you."

Glowering at him, I asked, "Do you want my help or not?"

"Sorry, sorry. Fine, I want to be with her, alright? Can you make that happen?"

"Nope. I told her I think she shouldn't give up on you but that's all I'm doing. I'm not going to force her to change her mind."

"C'mon, Lucy-"

"Nope. Sorry, Gray. You're on your own. But I'll give you a tip. Your first step should be apologizing."

"You know, for someone who claims not to know anything about love, you sure know what to do in this situations."

My eyes widened a fraction while Gray turned his attention back to our project. I could only hope things between them would work out.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

Once lunch started, I watched as Lucy stood up from her desk and handed Levy her lunchbox before walking out of the classroom. I got up quickly and ran after her to catch up, wondering where she was going. She went up the stairs and towards the vending machine. Grinning, I stealthily walked behind her, like one of those cool ninjas in the shows I used to watch.

I waited until she bought a bag of chips, opened it, and grabbed a chip before I decided to make my appearance. I snatched it out of her hand, smirking after hearing her squeal.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, all angry-looking and everything. Her cheeks were puffed out and her brows were scrunched in annoyance. Man, annoying Lucy was fun.

"Hey, Luce!" I replied, reaching for another chip.

She glared at me and pulled her bag away in the speed of light. I didn't even know Lucy could move that fast. Sheesh, you would think she would be able to run better.

"You aren't getting any more of these!" Lucy said, shielding her chips from me. I had to keep myself from laughing. She sure was protective of her food.

"Aww, no fair! C'mon, Luce! Why not share with your best friend!"

"Levy-chan is my best friend."

"Hey! I thought I was your best friend!"

Lucy's lips twitched upwards into a smile as she stated, "Fine, you two are tied. But you aren't getting any of my chips." She then walked back to the vending machine and put in a dollar, ordering another bag, handing it to me. "Here you go! Have your own!"

I frowned and replied, "We could've just shared. You didn't have to spend money on me."

"Well, you saw my house. Clearly money isn't a problem."

After hearing that, I instantly remembered what she said the day we hung out at the arcade.

"So that's what you meant!" I shouted.

"Huh?" she questioned, her eyebrows shooting up while she ate another chip. I had to admit, she was cute.

"You said it wouldn't be possible for me to bleed you dry of money! It's because you're like a princess or something!"

Lucy scoffed and replied, "I'm not a princess. I'm an heiress. Different. My dad owns a company, not a kingdom."

I returned the scoff. "Same thing to me. So what, you plan on owning your dad's company after high school?"

Lucy frowned and leaned on the lockers. "I don't really have a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"That's what my dad wants me to do and I have to listen."

I frowned at her and asked, "Why?"

"Because I'm his daughter. That's just how it's supposed to be. I've argued with him about a lot of things but this isn't something I can argue my way out of. It's my fate," she answered, sighing afterwards.

I shrugged and replied, "I don't think that's true. What do _you_ want to do after high school, Lucy? Do you want to take over your dad's company?"

Lucy's cheeks turned a light pink and she answered, "No, I actually like to… I like to write. I-I want to be an author someday. But that's never going to happen."

"Why not? If that's what you want to do, then do it!"

"But my dad-"

"Who cares what your dad wants? It's _your_ life, Lucy. You need to spend it the way you wanna. 'Sides, you don't seem like the type to have some boring job running a company. You aren't smart enough for that."

Lucy elbowed me in the side but smiled. "Whatever. I guess you're right though. I shouldn't listen to my father about this! I already told him I wouldn't marry one of his suitors, why not tell him I won't run his company? I like to write, and that's what I'm going to do!"

I was curious about the whole _marriage_ thing Lucy was talking about, but I didn't question it. I didn't think I needed to anyways. I've seen enough movies to know that the rich girl is usually forced to marry a rich guy. I'm sure that's what Lucy was talking about, and knowing she said no was enough for me to not question it.

"Good," I finally said with a grin. "Now you can write weird stories that I'll read and make fun of!"

Lucy scoffed and teased, "You can read?"

"Hush. Make sure I'm the first to read your story."

"Nope! Sorry, already promised Levy-chan she would be my first reader."

"Oi! I'm the one that encouraged you to write! Shouldn't I be your first reader!?"

"You encouraged me to become an author. _Levy-chan_ encouraged me to write. But you can be my second."

Lucy smiled at me and popped another chip into her mouth, chewing it happily. Two weeks ago her smiles were often faked, but now I was able to see a real smile up close. I stared at her lips. Her pink, plump lips, and felt myself being drawn in, before I quickly shook my head. There was no way I was about to do something I would regret later. Not with Lucy.

I was about to kiss her. I was going to _kiss Lucy._ That would've been the worst thing I ever could've done, and I've done a lot of stupid things. Like jumping off of Gray's roof to prove I was braver than him. Or shaving my head because I got a piece of gum stuck in it. Yet none of those would be as stupid as kissing Lucy.

Whatever I felt towards Lucy, whether it was simple attraction or something more- which was what I was beginning to think it was- I was sure as hell she didn't feel the same. If I acted on those feelings at all, I would've ruined our friendship entirely, and that wasn't an option.

Luckily, she didn't notice and instead ate her chips in obliviousness.

"Wanna go back to class?" I asked, leaning on the locker next to her and eating some of my own chips.

"Nah," Lucy answered. "It's kinda nice talking to you alone. Even if you are really annoying."

"Whatever," I grumbled, downing all the chips. "I'll pay you back for these."

"No need," Lucy replied with a smirk. I loved when Lucy got all feisty- wait, love? Anyways, I _liked_ when she got feisty. It was an amusing side.

"And why is that?" I questioned.

Lucy stepped in front of me, close and still smirking. She laid a finger on my chest. I stared into her unknowing eyes with my own wide and questioning. Just her finger on my chest made me hold my breath and my heart feel like it was going a hundred miles an hour.

"Because you're going to be taking me out to dinner when I beat you this Thursday, remember?" she finally answered, putting her hands on her hips, which relieved me from my suffering.

I let out a sigh of relief, calming down. Then I smirked and replied, "Better hope your dad's company runs smoothly because you're going to need all the money you can get because I eat a _lot._ Your wallet isn't gonna make it through this bet alive!"

"We'll see about that. When I win, I want to go to a place with yummy pasta!"

"And when _I_ win, I want to go to a place with a bunch of meat!"

"Prepare to lose, Natsu Dragneel."

"In your dreams, Lucy Heartfilia."

We stared each other down without saying anything. There was nobody in the hallway, just the two of us. I could tell she noticed it too by the way she was so comfortable being so close to me. Then, she did something unexpected. I could have sworn her eyes darted to my lips before shooting back up to my eyes. I didn't know if she noticed she did that or not, but I will go to my grave swearing she did.

" _Maybe I have a chance with whatever this is after all."_

* * *

 _Jellal P.O.V._

During lunch, I ate my food in peace beside Erza, who did the had such a pleasant smile on her face, I couldn't help but smile as well. To think that she would be able to smile again like that around me was remarkable.

"What are you eating?" Erza's voice rang.

"A sandwich," I answered. "My foster mother made it for me."

"Is it good?"

I smiled and held the sandwich out to her. "Feel free to find out for yourself."

To my surprise, Erza didn't look at the sandwich hesitantly or with reluctance. Instead, she picked it up and took a bite out of it as though it were no big deal- which in truth, it probably wasn't, but to me it meant everything. Seeing her lips on the sandwich only served to remind me of our own kiss on Sunday. We hadn't talked about it since, but I knew she had the same reaction as I.

The hope for love.

Erza poured her heart into that kiss, probably not intending to. Nonetheless, I felt the love with my own two lips, the love that we once shared years ago. The love I thought I had lost. Luckily, it appeared I hadn't been the only one to hold feelings.

I wasn't going to push it, knowing I should be grateful enough simply being in her presence, but I was going to have hope. Hope that we would get back to what we once were.

"That's good," Erza said, handing my sandwich back. "What spreading does she use?"

"I-I don't know," I answered, my eyes focusing on tiny breadcrumbs around her lips. Feeling a surge of confidence, I willed my thumb to move towards her and brush them away gently. She colored under my touch, proving even further that the feelings still remained. Licking my thumb to remove the breadcrumbs, I replied, "You had some crumbs on you."

"T-Thank you," she replied, focusing on her food.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to get a drink."

After that, I needed some space just to calm myself down. I walked down the hall towards the water fountain and frowned at the sight of gum stuck to the drain, flooding it.

" _Why would someone desecrate our fountain?"_ I wondered with a frown.

I went upstairs to use that water fountain instead. When I reached the top, I turned to find Natsu and Lucy standing so close together, looking as though they were about to kiss. Hiding behind the edge of a locker, I watched as they stared each other down. Then I saw it.

Though I was feet away, I could see the color rising in Natsu's cheeks while he stared at Lucy's lips. He was finally figuring out his feelings towards her. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I turned around and headed back to the classroom.

" _I don't need water."_

* * *

After school, the group and I walked towards the training rooms in school. Fairy Tail Academy was one of the wealthiest schools in Fiore, providing it with a number of after school activities, such as fencing. When Erza and I were kids, we had plenty of battles using sticks we found in the park. When I arrived to Fairy Tail Academy for the first time, I was not surprised to find that she was captain of the fencing team. Even when using sticks she was a marvelous player.

But I always won the duels.

"You excited about your match with Erza?" Levy asked me during our walk to the fencing room.

I smiled and nodded. "It's been a while since I fenced, I am probably not as good as I used to be."

"And you challenged the captain of the fence team?" Lucy asked incredulously. "Erza is the best! You're not going to beat her, which means another point for the girls!"

"Jellal is pretty good too," Natsu added. "If anyone has a chance at beating Erza, it's him."

"That is true," the redhead herself replied. "Jellal and I used to play when we were kids. I am sad to say that I was not the victor in most of those matches. However, I have practiced over the years. I have that advantage."

I smiled at Erza and soon enough we were putting the uniforms on. I've only worn the uniform once or twice. I preferred wearing my own clothes, but Erza was adamant on following the rules, even more than I was. The rest of the group stood on the sidelines to watch and give us room.

Picking up the sabre, I tossed it hand to hand to test its weight. It was light, meaning I could be faster using it rather than an epee. I glanced to Erza and noticed how calm she appeared to be. She definitely knew what she was doing.

"What are the rules of this sport?" Juvia asked.

"Gotta hit the other person with the sword," Gajeel vaguely answered.

Levy shook her head and elaborated, "Since they're using a sabre, they can either use the tip or the blade. If they make contact with the other person above the waist, they score a point."

"How many points do they need to win?" Lucy asked.

I glanced at Erza and shrugged. "First to three? Like when we were kids?"

The redhead nodded. "That sounds fine to me. Lucy, tell us when to start."

The blonde nodded and exclaimed, "Three! Two! One! GO!"

Erza dashed in front of me in the blink of an eye and pointed her sabre towards me with one hand while the other was held behind her back. I barely dodged her thrust and found myself on the defensive, dodging jab after jab. Erza was ruthless, giving me no time to recover. Eventually, there was a sharp point just above my heart.

"Point one goes to Erza!" Lucy cheered.

I smiled, though nobody could see it underneath my mask. I was having a great time. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins going against Erza. She was skilled, making it even more enthralling. I was sure she was having a just as good time.

We got into our stances again, waiting for Lucy to signal us to begin. Once she did, I decided to go on the offensive this time, but Erza blocked my attack. Grinning, I started to get the feel of the sport like I used to and angled my sabre towards her shoulder blade. I pushed against Erza's weapon and inched the tip of my blade towards her until it finally made contact with her shoulder.

"One point goes to Jellal!" Lucy exclaimed.

Erza chuckled and readied herself again. Once Lucy instructed us to go, I waited for Erza to lunge at me instead. Her sabre barely missed my face and we continued to clash swords. I could hear the guys cheering for me while the girls cheered for Erza.

Her moves grew in speed but I anticipated all of them with ease. I let her attacks get closer and closer to me, giving her the thought that she was almost there to reaching another point. Then, when her sabre was mere centimeters from my chest, I squatted to avoid her blade and poked her in the stomach.

"P-Point two goes to Jellal," Lucy announced.

Natsu snickered and teased, "Scared of losing now, ain't ya?"

"Shut up! You boys are going down!"

"Oh really?" Gajeel asked with a smirk. "Because even if Jellal loses, which he won't, there is no way in hell Pipsqueak is gonna beat me in a lifting contest. And from what Salamander told us, you can't even run a whole lap, there's no way you'll beat him in soccer."

"Shut up, Gajeel!" Levy shouted, slapping the boy on his arm.

Lucy glared at the two boys before saying, "Jellal only needs one more point to win. Go!"

And with that, Erza and I clashed swords once again. Her movements became sloppy and frantic. She was desperate to beat me. After all, she vowed she would one day when we were kids.

" _Maybe I should let her,"_ I thought. " _If she wants to go to Crocus Gardens for our fieldtrip, I see no reason not to. Perhaps letting her win will be another step towards my redemption."_

I paused from defending myself, letting Erza's sabre jab my arm. The girls cheered and I smiled underneath my mask. Surely giving Erza the win would make her happy. Or so I thought. To my surprise, she removed her mask and gave me a harsh glare.

"You gave me that point," she sneered.

"I-I didn't!" I lied. Perhaps lying wasn't a good way to start redemption.

"I don't need you to go easy on me," Erza replied with still narrowed eyes. "It is insulting. I _will_ beat you one day, Jellal. But if that day is not today, then that is fine. Do not insult me by letting me win."

I stared at Erza with wide eyes. She was completely serious. She knew she wasn't going to win and yet she didn't want me to go easy on her. She truly was respectable. I nodded and she put her mask back on.

When Lucy gave us the word to start our last match, I continued to block Erza's attacks with ease. I had to admit they were not as sloppy anymore. In fact, she almost scored on me if it weren't for me dodging in the last second. Finally, I landed a hit on her side, ending our game. I won.

"J-Jellal is the winner," Lucy said. "I didn't think anyone was better than Erza!"

"Juvia didn't either," Juvia added.

"Get ready to lose, girls!" Natsu taunted, cackling afterwards. "Ice Princess may have lost, but the rest of us are going to destroy you!"

"Oi, that's not fair!" Gray shouted. "I didn't know Juvia was a good swimmer when I chose our contest! You and Gajeel chose lifting and soccer, there's no way Levy and Lucy will beat you at that!"

"I feel insulted," Levy stated.

"That's because we were," Lucy replied.

I chuckled at our friends' antics while Erza removed her mask and smiled at me.

"You really have gotten better," I told her with a smile.

"Still not good enough to beat you," she replied. "But one day I will. I am surprised you're still so good after years of not practicing."

"I suppose it is like riding a bike, you don't forget."

Erza held her hand out to me and I shook it.

"That was a good game," she said.

I nodded and replied, "It was. Perhaps we could fence again sometime?"

"I'd love to."

 **AN:** Jk! All other ships are safe! :D For now. ;D

 **Alexa60765:** Yep! And so far they are tied! :D Thank you for the review! :)

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Oh yeah he definitely had that coming. I feel like Juvia needs a moment like that in the manga where she just gets fed up with his moodiness tbh. Thank you for the review! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Looks like they haven't made up yet. Hopefully they do soon! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh yeah, couldn't let all the ships become canon so easily. One had to have some troubles. :')

 **Nalulove:** LMAO MY BAD. At least one this was happy. :')

 **Guest:** Gray is motivated, but will he be able to get Juvia to forgive him? Find out soon! :D

 **Lunahartz:** HAHA THANK YOU! And oh yeah, I had to wreck one of the ships to entertain myself and I chose Gruvia. :')

 **Avhaskake:** Haha thank you so much! I knew when I was outlining this story I wanted Juvia to destroy Gray lol.

 **Thegirlytomboy:** Haha yes! Real sushi too! And the vegetable kind! (those are honestly so expensive it breaks my heart) :')

 **BloodedInk:** OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm still insecure about my writing tbh because I definitely have so much to improve on so thank you for the encouragement. :') And that is one of the main things I focus on, making the characters not OOC so I'm glad I'm doing a good job. :') And oh yeah poor Levy. Will she win? Find out soon. ;D

 **IndianaCombs:** It actually isn't possible for it to be a tie because there are five matches, the fifth being the race! And I do! I already know what I'm doing for Levy. No clue on the rest. It would be easy if I made some of them sad but I feel like there's enough sadness and I should make them happy! :D So basically I just have to insert some more little facts and make them into OVAs haha! :)

 **Thegirlytomboy:** Hahaha aww thank you! Your review was very entertaining lol.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Hello again everyone! I am officially back in school and it sucks. :')

Chapter 18

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Wednesday)_

I woke up jittery that morning. My match with Natsu was tomorrow and I hadn't exactly been training. It wasn't completely my fault though. After school I would watch the other's matches and that didn't leave me much time with my father's strict schedule. I could only lie so much.

After throwing on my uniform, I grabbed my things and headed downstairs. There was so much to focus on today. I had to check on Gray and Juvia, check in with Erza since she and Jellal seemed to be getting closer, and prep Levy for her match with Gajeel, all the while entertaining Natsu. Oh, and do well on my project with Gray.

I had to admit, my grades were definitely not looking too good and it was all because of my new friends. We had been spending so much time together and texting, I simply lost track of time each day. My grades in Math and Chemistry were slipping fast, but as long as I pulled through by the end of the quarter I would be fine.

When I got to the kitchen, I was more than surprised to find my dad sitting at the table, reading the news on his tablet and sipping away at his steaming coffee. When he noticed my presence, he did something I never expected. He _smiled_ at me. It was miniscule, almost unnoticeable, but it was still there. It was also strained, but it was progress.

I smiled back at him and sat on the opposite side of the table while Ms. Spetto brought me my breakfast. I hated being brought my food, but with my dad there I had no choice but to be a spoiled princess.

"Good morning, father," I greeted.

"Good morning, Lucy," he replied, peering at me above his tablet. "I decided to eat out here today."

"I can see that. Is there a specific reason as to why?"

Jude sighed and set his tablet down, frowning at me. "I realize that I haven't exactly spent too much time with you lately."

"As in the last ten years," I mumbled.

"I know, and I am sorry, Lucy. I am trying to be a better father, I promise."

I smiled at my dad and began to eat my salad. We were stuck in an awkward silence, the only sound around us being the maids cleaning. I could see Capricorn and Virgo watching us curiously, glad that we were talking somewhat normally.

"So how are your grades?" my father asked.

"They're still good," I lied. I wondered if I was going to become a compulsive liar.

"That's good," Papa replied. And once again we were in silence. That is, until he asked, "How are your friends? The ones that came here the other night."

I choked on my salad and chugged my glass of water. "W-What are you talking about?"

Papa narrowed his eyes at me and answered, "You know what I am talking about. You had friends over last weekend. One of them left a drawing on my fridge."

"So you did see."

"Of course. Who are they?"

"Levy, Erza, and Juvia," I answered, staring at my lap. I was worried my father was going to ban me from hanging out with them. After all, they weren't rich, which happened to be a requirement of his.

"Tell me about them."

"Levy-chan is the short one from the drawing with the blue hair," I explained. "She is actually the top student in school. Erza is the one with red hair. She is the student council president and captain of a bunch of different sports teams. Juvia is the other blunette. She's shy and sweet. And a great swimmer."

Papa nodded and replied, "Those sound like beneficial friends. I do hope they aren't hindering your studies."

"They aren't!" I lied. Man, I really had to stop lying.

"Good. And there are no _boys_ in your group of friends are there?"

"Of course not," I fibbed.

"Good. I cannot let you distract yourself with boys. You need to focus on school. And no more inviting friends over without my permission."

"Yes, Papa," I replied, relieved and admittedly surprised I wasn't being punished. My father really was changing.

After excusing myself, I quickly left for school. I thanked Capricorn and briskly walked towards the classroom, my heart beating faster with each step as my eyes landed on the lockers I was pushed against with Natsu the day before. I knew exactly why it was thrashing around in my chest the way it was, but I tried not to think about it. Turned out my brain had other ideas.

" _Natsu and I were pretty close yesterday,"_ I thought as I stepped into the classroom. Gray was still sitting away from us while the rest were busy talking. Sitting in my seat, I continued to think. _"We looked close enough to… To kiss! I can't believe I wanted to kiss him! What's gotten into me! Am I actually falling for Natsu of all people?"_

"You okay, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I smiled weakly at the petite girl and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine!" I glanced towards Gray as he stared out of the window. "I'm gonna go talk to Gray!"

As I approached the icy male, he turned his head and glanced at me questioningly. Apparently he wasn't expecting me to ever choose talking to him over my other friends. Well, I admittedly didn't think I would, especially since Juvia still hadn't forgiven him. But I needed advice from someone that I believed understood me the most.

"I need your help," I stated as I took the seat in front of Gray and turned it to face him.

"With what?" the boy asked, frowning in concern. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Something like that," I replied, remembering the lockers. I felt my cheeks warm at the image of Natsu and I in the positions we were yesterday, and buried my face in my hands. It was all too embarrassing to deal with, only made harder by the fact that I didn't understand.

"What's gotten into you?" Gray questioned, putting his hadn on my shoulder to comfort me. As always he had an icy touch, but I couldn't tell by the way my body felt like it was on fire. I couldn't get Natsu out of my head.

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked, my voice in a hushed whisper. Gray arched a brow but nodded. I glanced around the room to make sure nobody was listening before asking, "How do you know you like Juvia?"

"Huh? That's what this is about? Me and Juvia?"

"Just answer me! How do you know you like her?"

Now Gray's cheeks flushed pink as he averted his gaze and stammered, "T-There's a lot of ways I know."

"Well hurry up and tell me!" I hissed.

"Alright, alright! For one, I feel like she knows me more than I know myself. As you know, I'm a pretty cold guy, see?" Gray asked as he placed his hand on my cheek. I squeaked and slapped it away.

"Don't do that! You're way too cold!" I shouted.

"See? I'm cold. But I don't _feel_ like that when I'm with Juvia or when I think about her. My body feels warm on the inside, actually."

"W-Well, maybe you're just sick or something!" I suggested. I couldn't sum that tiny information up into love. If I did, that meant I had feelings for Natsu, and there was no way that was remotely possible.

"It's not just that. My heart also does stupid stuff."

"Wow, stupid stuff? Really? That's how you describe it?"

Gray glared at me and shot back, "You know what I'm talking about! You read about these things in our project! You know the symptoms, so why are you asking me?"

I whipped my head to the side to gaze out the window in an attempt to hide my blazing cheeks. Unfortunately, hiding my embarrassment wasn't that easy.

"Wait a second," Gray began, his eyes widening in realization. "You aren't asking for me and Juvia. You are asking for you and N-"

"Don't say it aloud!" I squealed, clasping my hands over his mouth. "I-It's too embarrassing!"

Gray pulled my hands away and gave me the smuggest grin I had ever seen before in my life. "And after all those times you denied it, looks like I was right, huh? I told you, Lucy! It's plain as day!"

"Oh hush! There has to be another explanation!"

The boy leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "Sorry, Lucy. There isn't an explanation. You just finally realized what was in front of you this whole time."

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

When I got into class, all I could feel was blind rage. Why? Maybe it had to do with the fact that Lucy and Gray were talking, their cheeks visibly red. They were blushing together. Why the hell would they be blushing together? Unless they liked each other.

All of my hopes of Lucy feeling the same about me immediately disappeared. I should've known. All the girls start liking Gray sooner or later, probably because of his damn stripping habit. I should've known Lucy would fall for it too. Should I start stripping? Would that make her like me?

I shook my head and marched to my seat. Lucy jumped from surprise and smiled at me but I ignored her and looked out the window instead. I wasn't in the mood to talk to her anymore, not after finding out she liked my best friend instead of me. Sure, I wasn't going to act on my feelings, but it still sucked.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lucy frown. Part of me wanted to turn and comfort her but I couldn't. I just couldn't deal with her right now. Or Gray. If he even tried talking to me I might've just punched him in the face. It was better this way.

During class, I felt Lucy's stare on me the entire time, probably wondering why I was upset. All I could think about was the day before, when we were against the lockers and I could have sworn she looked at my lips the way I look at hers. Apparently I was wrong.

 _"Why am I so upset by this? It's not like I wanted to be her boyfriend or anything. I should just be happy she's my friend."_

Pushing the negative thoughts to the back of my mind, I stood as the lunch bell rang and walked to where Lucy was sitting. She looked up at me with her big, brown eyes. She was obviously surprised by my change of attitude but didn't question me. Her cheeks were pink, like when she was talking to Gray.

"H-Hey, Natsu!" Lucy said.

"Yo, Luce!" I replied, grinning at her.

"Umm, wonderful weather we're having!"

I bit back a sigh and just nodded. " _Great, I made things awkward now."_ I watched as Lucy looked just about anywhere but me. Did I give any clues or something about my feelings? Is that why she was acting like that?

"I-I'll be right back. I have to say talk to Gray about something," Lucy said.

I ignored the feeling of my heart practically being torn out of my chest and stomped on repeatedly. Or even better, like a dragon clawed it out of me and burned it to ashes. Yeah, that sounds cooler.

Lucy ran off towards Gray and sat across from him. Her cheeks matched my hair and I was angry once again. If I knew falling for Lucy meant also being angry all the time, I never would've stolen that chip from her the first day we talked. Okay, that's a lie. No matter how shitty I felt, nothing would ever change the fact that I wanted- no, _needed-_ Lucy in my life. Even if that meant watching her date my best friend. Unluckily for me, that wasn't as easy as I thought and I was going to find myself messing up.

* * *

 _Gajeel P.O.V._

During lunch, I watched as Salamander eyed Bunny Girl and Gray from across the room. From the look on his pathetic face, he was jealous. Man, the guy sure was an idiot. How could he not tell Bunny Girl liked him? Then again, if Levy was lookin' like that with some other guy, I guess I woulda gotten suspicious too. At least for me, I knew how Levy felt because she's made it clear. Plenty of times.

Ever since Levy came over the other day, our relationship was official. I didn't want anyone else and Levy definitely wasn't the type to mess with a bunch of guys.

Since Sunday, Levy came over every day and tutored me, which would eventually lead to us making out on my bed. Were we moving fast? Yes. Did I care? Hell no. As long as I wasn't pushing Levy to do something she didn't want to, I didn't care about how fast we were moving.

The old hag approved of Levy, making it even better. She stayed over for dinner most of the week. She liked showing Shrimp my embarrassing pictures, much to my annoyance. Still, it was nice having the two care about me. I never thought I would have another parent-figure in my life after Metalicana left and I never thought I would feel this way towards a girl.

Anyways, life with Shrimp was going great. And now that school was over, it was time to destroy her during our contest.

"Have you been training, Levy-chan?" Bunny Girl asked Shrimp.

Levy chuckled awkwardly and answered, "I haven't exactly had time."

"Yes you did," Erza said, crossing her arms. "You just chose not to."

"I had to tutor Gajeel!"

"Is that what they call it?" Bunny Girl teased. I growled at her and cursed when she pointed out my blushing cheeks.

"Like you can talk about other people blushing," Salamander added, though his tone wasn't light and kidding. He actually sounded harsh.

Lucy didn't pick up on his tone and started to blush. "H-Have I? You must be seeing things!"

Natsu narrowed his eyes at Blondie and replied, "Nah. Just ask _Gray."_

At this, everyone got quiet and watched. Lucy looked at Salamander with hurt in her eyes. He looked away like the idiot he was.

Gray glared at Salamander and questioned, "What's your problem?"

Natsu crossed his arms behind his head and glared back. "Nothing really. Just that you two kept flirting with each other today. If you guys like each other just hurry up and date."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Salamander growled and answered, "You know what I'm talking about. What, since you lost Juvia you thought you could have Lucy, right? Or did you act that way with Juvia because you liked Lucy this whole time and couldn't get her yet? Either way, instead of flirting around each other, hurry up and make it official. It's annoying watching you act like this."

Juvia stared wide eyed at Gray and that was when I knew this needed to be put to a stop.

"Natsu!" I shouted. "Stop it or else-"

"D-Does Gray-sama love Lucy?" Juvia asked.

"Yep," Natsu answered with a shrug. Damn, when the guy was hurting he was a real asshole.

"No I don't!" Gray shouted. "Well I mean I do but-"

"See? He just admitted it."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure you didn't! What about you, Lucy? Now's the perfect time for you to confess to-"

Natsu was interrupted by a quick slap to the face, one that I didn't even see coming. Lucy stood still, her hand still raised in the air while she glowered at Natsu. He simply stared back at her, shocked out of his mind.

"Enough," Lucy ground out. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you today, Natsu, but it's time for you to get over it. Stop taking it out on us or you might find yourself lonely. Gray and Juvia, and even myself, you can't keep talking about us like that. Or else you won't hear from us again."

We all stayed silent, glancing at the two.

"N-Now, now," Erza said. It was clear she was shaken up too by the events. "We came out here to start Levy and Gajeel's match, not for an argument."

"Erza's right," Jellal added. "We're friends. Not enemies. So let's get on with this."

Everyone nodded and walked towards the changing rooms. The girls went in theirs while we went in ours. Natsu and Gray stayed silent and made sure not to make eye contact. I didn't know how the girls were taking it, but I figured it wasn't as awkward considering two of them didn't wanna rip each other's throats out. Well, unless Juvia believed Natsu's idiotic babbling. Then she might want to rip Lucy's throat out.

After changing out of my uniform and into gym shorts and a tank top, the guys and I walked into the weight room where the girls were waiting. Levy was wearing short, orange gym shorts and a yellow tank top. It was a good look for her.

"Alright, let's start this thing!" Erza exclaimed, obviously trying to hype everyone up and make us forget about what just happened.

"How are we doing this?" Levy asked, eyeing the equipment nervously.

"We bench press. Whoever can bench press the bar more times wins," I answered, smirking at her. No matter how awkward it felt now, I wasn't going to let it ruin the day completely. I'd been looking forward to our match for a while.

"Sounds simple enough," Lucy stated. She then faked a smile and exclaimed, "You got this, Levy-chan! You may be short but you've got enough spirit!"

Levy chuckled nervously and nodded. "Thanks, Lu-chan. I hope you're right…"

Levy laid on the bench, her head directly underneath the bar. To keep things simple, we left the bar without any weights. Natsu and Gray stood on the sides of the bar to spot until Jellal suggested he take Natsu's place, obviously because he didn't trust them at the moment. I didn't either.

"You got this, Levy-chan!" Bunny Girl cheered.

"Show us the results of your training," Erza added, crossing her arms.

"Yay, Levy!" Juvia weakly chimed in. It was clear they were all faking their cheeriness in order to encourage Shrimp.

Levy stared at the bar and took a deep breath. Then she put her hands on the bar and began to lift. Or at least tried to. Her arms were shaky and the bar was unbalanced as she was stronger with her right arm. Still, she puffed her cheeks and extended her arms, completing one successful lift.

The girls continued to cheer her on, causing her to stick out her tongue in determination. Levy kept lifting crookedly while her face grew red.

"You gotta breathe, Shrimp," I told her.

"I'm trying," she ground out as she lifted the bar again.

On her seventh go, Levy's arms began to shake more and her lifting slowed. On her eight, she couldn't extend her arms all the way, meaning that it was over. Jellal and Gray smiled at her and took the bar, putting it back on its hooks.

Levy panted and sat up, careful not to hit her head. Wiping sweat off her forehead, she questioned, "How many pounds was that? One hundred?"

I cackled and answered, "It was only fourty five. But good try, Pipsqueak."

"Pipsqueak? What happened to Shrimp?"

I shrugged and answered, "I like to switch it up. Now get up so I can show you how it's done."

Once Levy moved out of the way, I laid on the bench and smirked at the bar. I came to the weight room and the gym nearly every day to release pent up frustration. Lifting the bar more than eight times would be a cinch. Hell, lifting it more than twenty should have been easy.

When I lifted it the first time to test it, I grinned. It was light as a feather, just as I expected. Even though I wasn't able to come work out recently, it seemed my body was still accustomed to it. I got through five in a matter of seconds.

Erza bit her lip noticing that I was going to win. Just as I was about to lift the bar for the seventh time, she shouted, "Look, Gajeel! Levy is naked!"

I coughed and nearly dropped the bar on myself but quickly recovered.

"ERZA!" the girls shouted at the demon.

"If you think that would stop me, you're wrong," I stated as I lifted the bar as fast as I could, passing the eight rep and stopping at the fifteenth, putting the bar back in its spot.

"Damn it," Erza muttered. "I really thought that would work."

Jellal chuckled and replied, "If it did, the bar would've landed on Gajeel's chest."

"Isn't that what you two were for? To make sure that didn't happen."

"Well we were pretty shocked too," Gray stated.

"Whatever. You boys may have won again, but there's still Lucy and Natsu's match tomorrow."

Everyone flinched at the mention of their names. I watched as Natsu stared at Lucy while she grabbed her arm and looked away. Even though our match was a nice break, it didn't completely erase the tenseness.

"For now, why don't we all go out somewhere? Maybe get some dinner?" Levy suggested, looking towards Bunny Girl, probably trying to cheer her up and make things better.

"Thanks," the blonde replied. "But I should really get home now. I've gotta rest up for my match, right?"

"I guess that's true," Shrimp replied with a frown. "But don't think you're getting out of hanging out with us tomorrow!"

"That's right, Lucy. You're stuck with us tomorrow," Erza added.

"What's tomorrow?" I asked.

"It's Lucy's birthday," Juvia answered. "We've never celebrated a birthday with her!"

"And we are _all_ spending it together," Erza added.

I looked at Natsu and sighed. His eyes were wide and he looked worried. He had to have forgotten about her birthday. I decided I was going to help him later. After all, thanks to him I was no longer a part of Phantom Lord. If he needed advice, I would help him out. I could only hope he would actually listen, because if he didn't, he was going to lose a lot more than he realized.

* * *

OVA 2

Natsu and the Roof

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Seven years ago)_

I cursed as Gray's sister managed to beat all of us in Call of Duty. I came here to beat Gray, not to have stupid Ultear beat me. Shouldn't she be with her stupid friends anyways?

After Igneel disappeared, I'd been going over to Gray's all the time. It wasn't like we were friends or anything, as if I'd be friends with a guy that can't keep his shirt on! I only came over because his adoptive mom made good food and shared with me. I ran out of ramen noodles and had no choice but to come over. Yeah, that's it! Not like I enjoyed his company!

Ultear laughed and taunted, "Aww, what's wrong, Natsu? Can't beat me?"

"Shut up!" I shot back. "Shouldn't you be PMS'ing somewhere else?"

By the glare Ultear gave me, I knew I made a terrible mistake. By the time she was done pummeling me, I had bruises all over and a black eye! I would've snitched to someone, but then Ur might not feed me anymore. And I wasn't going to risk that.

I growled hearing Gray's annoying laughter. Ultear and Lyon left the room, leaving me and the stripper alone in his room. Leaping over to him, I tackled him and we started wrestling on the floor, bumping our heads into a bunch of stuff. We only separated when his mom came in and bashed our heads together like coconuts. Ur didn't mind that we fought, she just hated that we were loud and destroyed things. Honestly, Ur scared me.

Gray noticed this and teased, "Ha! You're scared of Ur! What a wimp!"

"Am not!" I lied. "And you said she's scary too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"No, you're just a wimp!" Gray shouted.

"No I'm not!" I shot back.

Gray smirked and replied, "Prove it then!"

"How?"

"I don't know... Jump off the roof!"

I grinned and shouted, "That's easy! I'm all fired up!"

Gray and I snuck out the backdoor and grabbed a ladder from the shed, leaning it on the side of the house. Gray's house was only one story tall, it shouldn't have been too bad! But when I climbed up and stood on the roof, I felt my legs shake. I was at least fifteen feet in the air.

"Chickening out?" Gray taunted. He was just like his sister.

"No way!" I lied. "You're gonna be kissing my feet when I'm done with this, Ice Prick!" Ice Prick. That's not a bad insult. I'd have to use that again sometime.

I stood on the edge and looked down. At least there was no concrete, just grass. I could do this! So, I took a few steps back and took a running start, jumping off the roof. I instantly flopped onto the grass, landing on my elbow. I yelped in pain and rolled on the grass holding my throbbing elbow. Gray's laughter filled my ears.

"You're so stupid!" he teased. "I can't believe you actually jumped off the roof to prove you're brave!"

"Shut up!" I replied through tears. "I think my arm is broken!"

"Yeah, probably because you jumped off the roof!"

A second later, Ur came out and walked towards us.

"What happened?" she asked. "I heard a loud thump outside!"

Gray cackled and answered, "Natsu jumped off the roof!"

"HE WHAT?"

And that was how Gray and I got our asses kicked by Ur and I learned to never jump off of a roof again.

 **AN:** So I destroyed Nalu this time and made Gruvia even worse. :') And I added the next OVA (which **IndianaCombs** inspired) because I forgot about the New Year last time! At least the OVA added some happiness. :D So I hope you all enjoyed that. :')

 **FireShifter:** Oh yes, her Lucy Kick has to help with her soccer match! I admittedly forgot about that but now I _have_ to add that lmao. And now I'm thinking it'll be a while before they kiss with the new drama. :')

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hahaha nope I had to have Levy lose or else there wouldn't be a match between Lucy and Natsu since it's first to three and if I had it another way, we won't get to have the race. :')

 **Nalulove:** Thank you so much haha! They're the most important part of the story! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Well, Levy lost but that was to be expected. :') And it looks like Gruvia will have to suffer even more now thanks to Natsu. :')

 **Guest:** HAHAHA I LOVED THIS REVIEW. "why is my Gruvia the only ship to messed up with :'(" Haha don't worry, I will destroy all ships eventually. :') It's what I do. :D Jerza suffered in the beginning! And now Nalu is suffering! Next up is Gajevy I can't wait! :'D

 **BloodedInk:** Ahh so you and Lunahartz know each other? How awesome! :D And ahh, The Flaming Key. Honestly, that is my least favorite story that I've written. :') I'm honestly a bit embarrassed by it lol. And nahh I couldn't let Erza win because I knew people were expecting that! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha I ended up making Gruvia worse! :D And oh yes, Natsu definitely accepts his feelings. I think he knew them deep down back in chapter 12 haha! And now Lucy knows her feelings! :D But Natsu screwed up. :') And oh yes, I will momentarily ruin Gajevy eventually. :')

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Yeah, they got off to a bumpy start but now they're okay. :') Thanks for the review! :D

 **Avhaskake:** HAHA DRAMA HAPPENED, THAT'S WHAT! :D

 **IndianaCombs:** Hahaha you helped me with Natsu's OVA! Once you said that I knew I had to use it lol. :D

 **Lunahartz:** So you showed one of your friends my stories, you're so kind sis! :'D And Nalu drama you have received! :D

 **Darkroses13:** Haha more Nalu fluff? Well, I added some Nalu drama. :'D And it'll be a while before we find out what happened with Lisanna haha! :D

 **Lunalunafreya:** Ahh thank you so much! :D And omfg haha I didn't think about that! And omg okay is this one a joke? Riddle? Either way, I have no idea lmao I suck. And wow good job! :D


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** Hi guys! This is a super long chapter! There's so much in it too! So I hope you all enjoy! :D

Chapter 19

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Thursday)_

I woke up with an absolute sense of dread, just as I did every year on that specific day. It was my birthday, and while most people are thrilled on their special days, I am definitely not. See, ever since my mother died and my father and I grew distant, my birthday came to be a reminder of how alone I was.

On my first birthday since my mother's passing, I spent the first half of the day in the kitchen, pouring my heart into cooking a tiny rice ball with my father's face on it. When I tried to give it to him, he yelled at me and slapped it out of my hand. I ran out crying, which was how I spent the rest of my day. He didn't even remember. I learned from then not to make a big deal out of my birthday.

During my first year at Fairy Tail High, I was lucky enough to get by without Erza and Levy finding out until it was too late- Juvia came after. However, they made it very clear since then that they are celebrating the next with me whether I wanted to or not.

Yet, to add to my unpleasant mood, I was still fighting with Natsu. Well, I wouldn't call what we were doing fighting, per say, but we definitely were not on the best of terms. Since his rude behavior the prior day, we hadn't talked. I could tell he was sorry, especially since he texted me about a million times last night telling me so. Still, I wasn't ready to forgive him. Especially when it wasn't just me he hurt.

Gray was beyond furious the previous night. He called me and shouted in the phone about how he was going to strangle Natsu for making Juvia think he loved me. And it was true. No matter how much I tried to convince Juvia again that Gray didn't love me, I could tell she was unconvinced. After all, convincing her the first time was bad enough, having to do it again was ridiculous. At least Juvia showed no signs of wanting to kill me, unlike Gray and Natsu.

Grabbing my phone, I found that there were a bunch of new texts from a certain pinkette. I shoved it in my pocket before going downstairs. Before reaching the kitchen, a sweet aroma filled my nostrils.

" _What is that?"_

Entering the kitchen, I found my father sitting on one side of the table while a stack of pancakes slathered in whipped cream and topped with strawberries sat on the other side. All of the staff and my father smiled at me, the former's being a bit nervous.

"Happy birthday, Lucy!" they all shouted.

Tears instantly brimmed my eyes as I stood completely stunned. A decade went by in which we hadn't openly celebrated my birthday. Virgo always wanted to celebrate in secret but I would always refuse. But now… I looked towards my father for answers and saw a loving smile on his face, causing my tears to stream even faster. I hadn't seen such a loving smile in years, it almost brought me to my knees.

"Happy birthday, Lucy," Papa said calmly. He gestured towards the pancakes and said, "I had Ms. Spetto prepare your birthday breakfast, just like the old days."

"Y-You remembered…" I breathed out, still unable to move. It was like my feet were cemented in the tile floor.

"I always have," Papa replied. "I'm afraid I was just too lost in the dark to celebrate before. But like I told you, I am trying to be a better father now. One that Layla would be proud of."

At the mention of my mother's name, I sobbed and ran over to him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. That was something I hadn't done in years. After a few moments, he pulled away and wiped away my tears.

"Come now, Lucy. Let's eat," he said.

I nodded and smiled at him before sitting in my seat. My smile grew at the sight of the pancakes and I quickly began to dig in. Halfway through breakfast, my father received a call. He arched a brow at his phone and then looked at me, as if asking for permission to answer.

"Go ahead," I told him with a smile. "I have to get going to school anyways.

Papa smiled at me and nodded before walking into the living room with his phone. Once I finished my pancakes, I put the plate in the sink and grabbed my backpack, on my way to school with Capricorn. Before I left, I saw my dad's face as he spoke with whoever was on the other line. His brows were furrowed and his forehead creased. He was furious.

" _There's probably a work problem,"_ I thought. Usually I would be more than upset when my dad put work above me, but I couldn't be mad after everything he did. After all of his efforts.

"Happy birthday, Lucy," Capricorn said as we approached the school.

For once, I grinned at the remark and replied, "Thanks! I'll see you later! Tell Papa I'll be home late tonight, I'm going out with some friends!"

Walking into the classroom, I stopped at the entrance, seeing Natsu look up at me with wide and saddened eyes. I frowned and averted my gaze, still not ready to speak to him yet. Suddenly, I found a pair of hands over my eyes.

"Guess who!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

I giggled and replied, "Levy-chan!"

"Correct!" the blunette exclaimed. When she removed her hands, I saw a card sitting on my desk with a pink cupcake on the cover. Opening it, I saw that all my friends- who were circling me with excited grins, save for Natsu who was still upset- signed the card.

 _"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LU-CHAN! You deserve the best birthday in the world! Thank you for being so kind and taking the time to get to know a dork like me. Since I've met you, you made my life so much brighter. Thank you for being my absolute best friend._

 _Love, Levy."_

 _"Happy Birthday, Lucy. In the short time that I've known you, you have become one of my closest friends. I cherish our friendship very much and still remember the day I brought you to eat lunch with Levy and I. I'm glad I got the chance to befriend such a sweet, generous person with a big heart._

 _Love, Erza."_

 _"It is Lucy's birthday! Juvia is beyond glad to be able to celebrate with one of her best friends. It means a lot to Juvia that Lucy accepted her and Juvia hopes to make Lucy's birthday the best. Juvia also hopes Lucy knows that no matter what, Lucy will always be Juvia's friend._

 _Love, Juvia."_

 _"Happy Birthday, Lucy. I have not known you very long, but you are a nice person. I can see why Erza is great friends with you. I look forward to getting to know you even better._

 _From, Jellal."_

 _"Happy Birthday, Bunny Girl. Don't go thinking I wrote this because I wanted to. Shrimp made me. Anyways, you're alright if you're Shrimp's best friend. I guess you deserve a good birthday._

 _Gajeel."_

 _"Happy Birthday, Lucy! I am so glad that we met this year. I already have a sister, but after meeting you, I feel like I have another. Though, I'm older than you, so this time I'm the older brother. I hope you enjoy your day. You deserve it._

 _Love, AS A FRIEND OR BROTHER AND NOTHING MORE DESPITE WHAT NATSU SAYS, Gray."_

 _"Happy Birthday, Luce!_

 _From, Natsu."_

I stared at the last birthday message with a frown. I knew we weren't on the best of terms, but really? That's it? After calling each other best friends and staying up every night texting, that's all I get? Even Gajeel wrote a more personal message!

Still, I wiped blissful tears from my eyes. The messages were overwhelming, in a good way. I never had such caring friends before and it warmed my heart. This was a new experience for me, one that I hoped would happen again next year.

"Thank you so much, guys!" I exclaimed, wiping my tears away.

"Why the hell you crying?" Gajeel questioned. "It's just a birthday card."

"Because I've never gotten one from friends," I answered, holding the card to my chest. "Hell, I haven't gotten a card in years."

"Well that's gonna change from now on!" Levy exclaimed. "You're getting one every year!"

Erza nodded and added, "And you must keep them forever. During the times you feel lonely, I expect you to read those messages."

"Juvia can't wait to celebrate with Lucy!" the blunette chimed in. I smiled at Juvia and hugged her tightly, glad that I still hadn't lost her friendship despite what troubles Natsu brought us.

I turned to Natsu and saw that he was staring at his feet, frowning glumly. I couldn't bear to see him so miserable anymore, especially on a day that was supposed to be happy. Even if his birthday message lacked anything special, he was still my best friend. I was about to call out to him when Gildarts Sensei walked in, signaling the start of class. I would just have to talk to him later.

* * *

 _Juvia P.O.V._

During lunch, Juvia was excited to spend time with Lucy. Juvia was relieved that Lucy knew she wasn't upset and that she would be able to spend her birthday with her close friend. Glancing at Natsu, Juvia found that he was sitting between Levy and Erza instead of beside Lucy. Juvia felt bad for him.

Even though Natsu's words hurt Juvia, she still felt bad for him. After all, Juvia knew he was jealous of Gray-sama. Juvia knew how it felt to be jealous and she had done some crazy things because of it. She couldn't blame Natsu.

Juvia had to admit that Natsu's words affected her more than she let on. It made her realize that Natsu was right, Gray-sama loved Lucy, even though she loved Natsu. After all, the two were spending a lot more time together recently, especially with their project.

Lucy was the embodiment of a perfect girl. She had golden hair and beautiful, bright eyes that melted anyone's hearts. Her smile was kind and sweet, just like her personality. Juvia couldn't blame Gray-sama for falling in love with her.

Still, Juvia's understanding did nothing to mend her broken heart. After what happened after their match, Juvia was a mess. Her heart ached for Gray-sama and she had to constantly fight the urge to talk to him. Attempting to move on from love was much more difficult than she imagined.

"So where are we going after school today?" Jellal questioned, bringing Juvia out of her negative thoughts.

"To the arcade and then out to dinner at Lucy's favorite restaurant," Erza answered with a confident grin.

"You know my favorite restaurant?" Lucy questioned.

"Of course. You used to always talk about their pasta."

Lucy blushed and replied, "I really like pasta. W-We are all coming right?" Juvia could tell she was asking about Natsu.

"Yep!" Levy replied. "We're all friends and that is what friends are for!"

Lucy smiled and glanced at Juvia. We maintained eye contact for a while, Juvia being confused as to why. Then Lucy began to whisper in Gray-sama's ear, causing Juvia's heart to fill with dread.

" _Was Juvia wrong? Does Lucy love Gray-sama instead of Natsu?"_

To Juvia's surprise, Gray-sama looked at her before standing up and dragging her with a gentle hand outside of the classroom. Warmth erupted in her body from the simple contact and all of her resolve almost disappeared.

Gray-sama then released his hold on Juvia and turned to face her. His cheeks were a beautiful shade of pink and he looked serious as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Juvia, we need to talk," he said.

"About what?" Juvia questioned. She felt uneasy after his statement. After all, those weren't exactly good words to lead with.

"Us," Gray-sama answered. Before Juvia could reply, he continued, "Natsu's an idiot. He doesn't know how to handle his feelings so he goes about spouting bullshit to make himself feel better."

"You brought Juvia to talk about Natsu?"

"No. Let me finish. Natsu was wrong about what he said yesterday. Well, kinda. I do love Lucy." Juvia's heart clenched, but before tears could well in her eyes, Gray-sama continued, "But I love her the way I love Ultear, as a sister. I've never once felt that way towards Lucy. It's impossible for me to."

"Why? Lucy is perfect."

Gray-sama scoffed and shook his head. "She isn't perfect. Nobody is. But even if she was, it would still be impossible because I like someone else. I like _you."_

Juvia's heart fluttered as her mouth hung open. "Gray-sama likes Juvia?"

"I do. I've known for a while now and what happened on Monday was me trying to push you away because I was scared. I'm sorry for that. Everyone I get close to just ends up dying, I guess I was scared after that. But after you got mad, I realized that I needed to get over my fears. Lucy was actually rooting for me to get with you."

"She was?"

"Yeah. Always has been."

"What now?"

Gray-sama frowned as he answered, "I do like you, but I'm not ready for a relationship. I want to take things slow between us. I wanna get to know you first. I wanna do all that crap in romantic movies and take you out on dates and stuff."

Juvia smiled, her heart feeling light as a feather. Perhaps she should give Gray-sama another chance. After all, it wasn't like Juvia moved on.

"Juvia would love to take things slow," Juvia said with a smile.

Gray-sama mirrored the expression and replied. "Good. How about a date this weekend? I work Saturday but I'm free Sunday."

"That sounds great."

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After school ended, I grinned as the group and I went to the locker rooms again that week. I could see Lucy fumbling with the hem of her skirt, probably nervous about our match. Which made sense. I was captain of the soccer team, there was no way I would lose.

"You better not lose, Salamander," Gajeel stated.

"I won't. How could I lose? I'm captain of the soccer team!" I reminded the idiot.

"Gray is captain of the swim team but he lost to Juvia," Jellal added. "Perhaps Lucy can beat you."

Once I finished changing into red gym shorts and a black tank top, the guys and I walked to the field. The girls weren't there yet, which I expected. Lucy was slow when it came to anything, especially changing. Or showering. Once we were texting and she left to go take a shower. She came back an hour and a half later. I thought she forgot to reply at first but she told me she was in the shower the whole time. I could only imagine her water bill.

When I saw Lucy and the rest of the girls walking towards us, my heart did that cliché thing of skipping a beat. She was wearing short shorts again, but this time they were pink, and a black tank top like me.

Lucy smiled at me, which I was completely surprised about. I thought she was still mad.

"How are we doing this?" she asked.

"Best out of three," I answered with a grin. "Do you know the rules of soccer?"

"No using hands?"

"Yep!"

"Alright, Lu-chan!" Levy shouted. "You got this!"

"We will cheer you on from the sidelines," Erza added.

"Go Lucy!" Juvia exclaimed.

When everyone moved off of the field, I placed the soccer ball on the middle of the field. Lucy's brows furrowed and her eyes shone in determination. It was a good look for her, but I wasn't going to let her win.

We stood on opposite sides of the ball, staring each other down. Holding a hand out to her, I smirked. Lucy shook my hand.

"Good luck," I told her. "You're gonna need it."

"I could say the same to you. You're gonna be buying me dinner, Dragneel!"

"On your mark," Erza started, "get set, go!"

Before Lucy could even move, I dashed towards the ball and kicked it to the side a bit before running and bringing it forward towards Lucy's goal. I cackled hearing Lucy squeal and stopped to look back at her. Her face was bright red and she was trying to catch up to me. Drawing my leg back, I thrust it forward, kicking the ball straight into the goal.

"Point one goes to Natsu," Erza stated as she glared at me.

Lucy panted as she reached me and shouted, "I wasn't expecting you to be that fast!"

I grinned and replied, "You're just slow."

We put the ball back in the center and got in our spots. The moment Erza signaled for us to begin, Lucy let out a pained cry and fell to the floor, holding her knee.

"Lucy?" I asked frantically. I dropped by her side and examined her leg. Nothing looked wrong with it but it could be internal.

"My leg!" she complained. "I must have hurt it while running!"

"Here, let's go to the-"

"SIKE!"

Lucy pushed me to the ground and got up, racing with the ball towards my net. I was too stunned to move so I just stayed watching her until she was halfway there, then my legs decided to work again. I raced after her, trying to catch up but it was too late. She kicked the ball into the net, scoring a point.

"I DID IT!" Lucy shouted, jumping up and down in joy.

"Good job, Lu-chan!" Levy congratulated.

"That was such a foul!" Gray countered.

Erza, the self-nominated referee, shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I didn't see anything. She gets the point!"

"You are a bunch of cheaters!" Gajeel shouted. "First you try to make me drop the bar telling me Levy was naked, and now you've got Bunny Girl knocking people down!"

I looked back at Lucy, who winked and stuck her tongue out at me. Honestly, it turned out to be a strange turn-on. She walked up to me and put her hands on her hips.

"That was good, I'll give ya that," I told her. "But I won't fall for it again!"

Lucy shrugged and smiled at me. "That's okay. I'm still having fun."

Once she readied the ball, I grinned at her, ready to end the game. Lucy smiled at me, and that was when I remembered it was her birthday.

" _That's right, this whole contest was because the girls wanted to win it for Lucy's birthday so she could go to the garden thing she always wanted to go to,"_ I thought. " _Which she couldn't go to because her dad is strict. This could be her only chance to go."_

When Erza signaled us to start, I drew my leg back and slipped on my back. Lucy stared at me in confusion before grinning and kicking the ball away.

" _If I'm gonna let her win I have to make it look realistic."_

Rising to my feet, I ran after Lucy, shouting, "Oh no you don't! Get back her!"

The girl shrieked but then laughed as she continued to run with the ball. Just as I approached her, she kicked the ball toward the net. And missed.

" _Seriously? I'm trying to let her win and she fucking misses?"_

Lucy squealed and rushed to the ball. She kicked it until she was too close to the net that it would be considered a foul but I didn't say anything and just let her score. Which she finally did.

"I won!" Lucy shouted. She turned around and faced me, putting her hands on her hips while she smiled smugly at me. "In your face, Dragneel! I won! Wow, soccer isn't hard at all since I just beat the team captain! Maybe I should try out next year! Looks like you're taking me out to dinner!"

I chuckled and nodded. "It's a date."

"A _what?"_ an unfamiliar voice questioned. I turned towards the sound of approaching footsteps to find a man with dirty-blonde hair combed to the side and a bushy mustache. He was wearing a business suit, one that clearly cost a bunch of money. Behind him was another man, one that I recognized as Lucy's servant that had me tackled the day I came over to her house, Caprisun. He looked worried and sad.

"P-Papa?" Lucy asked. I turned to find her staring at the man, who I now knew was her father, with trembling legs and widened eyes. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to your teacher," the man hissed. "Because I received a call this morning telling me that my daughter's grades have been slipping and that it's so unlike her. I figured it was your teacher's fault, because there was no way my daughter had terrible grades, especially when she had been telling me this whole week that her grades were fine."

"I can explain-"

"I don't need an explanation," Lucy's father interrupted, his eyes cold and narrowing. He pointed at me and continued, "I can already see what's corrupted you."

"Papa, it isn't his fault!"

"Yes it is! It is his fault and all the other friends you've been hanging out with! You told me you didn't have any male friends!"

"Well I-"

"There is a reason I didn't want you hanging around boys! It is because they all want one thing: to fool around with you! These scum are going to screw up your life and leave you a pathetic mess. Look at what they did to your grades!"

"It's not their fault, it's mine!" Lucy cried while the rest of the group walked up to us hesitantly. "I didn't focus enough on school and that's my fault! Don't blame my friends!"

"I will blame all of you," the man said. He then pointed at me and hissed, "Is that your _boyfriend_ or something?"

Lucy began blushing and shouted, "No! He's one of my best friends!"

"Well you are not to hang out with him anymore."

"What? No way! You can't make me!"

"I can and I will. Now come on."

"No!" Lucy shouted. "I will not let you ruin another birthday of mine!"

Her father glared back at her and replied, "I didn't ruin this birthday, _you_ did with all of your lies! Now hurry up and get in the car! We're going home!"

"No," I said, stepping in front of Lucy. I didn't care if this man was her father, he wasn't going to boss her around like that. Especially not on her birthday. "Lucy is staying with us."

"Excuse me?" the man questioned, giving me the harshest glare I've ever seen. It was a look that could freeze all of hell. "Lucy is _my_ daughter."

"I don't care what she is to you. It's her birthday and it's her life. She's staying with us if that's what she wants," I replied, crossing my arms and glaring at him.

"It would be wise to shut your mouth, boy. You are just lucky that my daughter gave you whatever attention she did. But it's over now. She is Lucky Lucy Heartfilia. She isn't going to tarnish her name hanging around simpleton like you."

"That's where you're wrong," I began. "She isn't Lucky Lucy Heartfilia. Not with us. Lucy is just Lucy."

Hearing a faint sniffle coming from behind me, I turned to find Lucy covering her mouth in an attempt to quiet herself. Rage boiled inside of my seeing her cry but I didn't say anything. Instead, I watched as Lucy walked over to her father.

"I'm staying with them," she announced. "I know you're trying to be a better father and I know that you think that's what you're doing, but you're wrong. Yes I was wrong to lie to you about everything, and I'll never do that again. But it is _my_ life and I'm going to take charge of it. You can't stop me from hanging out with my friends, no matter how much power you have. I'll run away if that's what it takes. But please, Papa. Mama wouldn't want that. So please just let me keep hanging out with my friends."

The man eyed Lucy and then studied the rest of us. It was probably only for a few seconds but it felt like hours. I knew Lucy's dad was strict, but I wasn't expecting _that._ He then turned on his heel and walked away.

"Fine," he said. "But after today you're meeting with all of the tutors I see fit. Oh, and you're grounded when you get home."

Lucy smiled and nodded. "I understand."

"Let's go, Capricorn. I have work to do."

Once he left, Gajeel let out a whistle.

"You sure have some daddy issues," he joked.

Lucy laughed and replied, "They're getting better. For now, I wanna celebrate my birthday."

I grinned and shouted, "Then let's go!"

Erza and Levy grabbed Lucy's wrists and the girls ran away giggling, leading the way to Lucy's favorite restaurant. The guys and I followed along, ready to spend the rest of the day having fun. When we got to the restaurant, I noticed that it wasn't some fancy diner like I thought. In fact, it was pretty cheap.

"Hello again, Lucy!" one of the waitresses greeted. She wore a green dress and had short purple hair. "It's good to see you again!"

"You too, Kinana!" Lucy replied.

"You aren't with Virgo this time?"

"Nope! I'm with my friends!"

Kinana smiled at us and led us to our table. After everyone ordered, the waitress left to get our drinks. I ordered spaghetti with spicy marinara sauce and extra meatballs since they only had pasta. Seriously, what restaurant doesn't have steak? While we ate, we went around the table sharing our most embarrassing stories. Turned out Levy's was most embarrassing considering she accidentally read a smutty story to a bunch of kids she was volunteering with.

After that, everyone gave Lucy her presents. Gajeel got her a pair of socks covered with bunnies, laughing once she opened it and saying she looked like the bunnies on the socks. Jellal gave Lucy a pink writing journal to go with the calligraphy set Erza gave her. Gray kept it simple and gave her two gift cards, one to Freezies and another for a popular girly boutique in town. Juvia bought Lucy a book of short stories and Levy went all out giving Lucy a freaking miniature type writer. I didn't even know those things still existed.

"You guys are amazing!" Lucy exclaimed. "You didn't have to get me all this, but I really appreciate it. Thank you so much."

"Anything for you, Lu-chan!" Levy replied. "Anyways, would you look at the time? It looks like I gotta go home now!"

"Oh, uhh. Me too," Gray added suspiciously.

"Looks like we all should go now," Erza added. "But somebody needs to walk the birthday girl home!"

"I can walk by myself, you guys don't have to! Or I can call Capricorn," Lucy suggested.

"No, no! It's your birthday! Allow one of us to! Oh, I know! Natsu can walk you home!"

"Huh?"

"That sounds perfect!" Juvia gushed. "Well bye! Happy Birthday again, Lucy!"

And with that, the rest of the group practically ran out of the restaurant after paying their tabs. Lucy looked to me with pink cheeks and I shrugged. Not like I had a problem walking her home. Besides, I still had to give her my present.

We walked together under the stars. At first we didn't say anything, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was actually pretty comfortable. We took our time walking until we eventually reached the river where I first dropped Lucy off when we hung out at the arcade.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Lucy asked with a small smile. "It seems like it was so long ago but really it was only three weeks."

"I feel like we've known each other for years," I replied.

"Me too. Thank you for everything you said to my dad earlier. It meant a lot to me."

"Don't mention it. I was just telling the truth."

Lucy smiled at me before glancing up at the stars. "My dad was wrong about you. About all of you. And I want him to get to know you."

"What are you saying?" I asked, raising a brow.

"I want you to come over for dinner this weekend. I want my dad to see the real you, without the yelling and drama. Saturday night, come over. That is, if you want to."

I grinned and nodded. "Should I dress up or something? It feels like I'm gonna be eating with royalty."

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "No. Be yourself. I want my dad to love the real you, just like I do."

My heart stopped and warmth spread through my entire body when she said that. I knew she meant it in a friendly way. After all, she said she wants her dad to love me the way she does, and I'm sure she didn't mean a romantic way. Still, I could hope.

"I got you presents too," I breathed out, my voice still hoarse from shock. "I didn't get the chance to wrap them or anything."

Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at me with pink cheeks. She really was pretty.

"You did?" she asked.

I nodded and fished inside my pocket for the first present. I grabbed it and held out my hand. Lucy's eyes got even bigger as she grabbed the pieces of paper from my hand.

"Movie tickets?" she questioned with a smile.

I nodded and replied, "To one of those new chick flicks that came out because I know you like them. It's for tomorrow night, think you can make it?"

"I'll have to convince my dad, but I'm sure I can work my way around it." She hugged me tightly and continued, "Thank you."

"There's more!" I exclaimed, now feeling confident. Honestly, I just bought these presents the night before with some of Gajeel's help because I forgot all about it and I felt like Lucy wasn't going to like them. But Lucy was kind. She didn't care about materialistic things, it was the thought that counted. I reached in my pocket and handed Lucy a pink ribbon, one that matched my hair. "Since you wear ribbons every day, I figured you could use another!"

Lucy grinned and accepted the ribbon. Untying the one in her hair, she replaced it with the one that I got her. It looked beautiful. She was beautiful.

"Thank you, Natsu, these were amazing gifts," Lucy said.

"There's one more!" Finally, I gave her the present I liked the most. It was a necklace with a diamond star. It sparkled under the starlight.

"Natsu, this is beautiful!" Lucy exclaimed, taking the necklace into her hands. "How much did this cost? You shouldn't have spent this money on me!"

"It's not real diamond," I told her. "I wouldn't be able to afford that, so it's not that expensive."

Lucy smiled at me and lifted her hair. "Put it on for me?"

I nodded and took the necklace, unhooking it. Clasping it again was a real pain in the ass. I kept fumbling with the stupid thing. My fingers kept brushing against Lucy's neck and let me tell you, it was tempting to do more than just put the necklace on. But I didn't.

"Thank you," Lucy said as she turned to face me. "This was the best birthday I've ever had."

"I'm glad you enjoyed your special day," I replied.

When we reached Lucy's house, she knocked me into a tight hug.

"Goodnight, Natsu," she whispered. Her breath warmed my neck, sending shivers down my body.

"Goodnight, Lucy. Happy Birthday," I choked out. Once she went inside, I stayed still, smiling to myself. A lot happened that day, but overall, it was a victory.

 **AN:** So much happened this chapter! Lucy's birthday, both ships making up, Nalu's contest, her dad finding out, so much! :D Hope you all enjoyed that! :)

 **SingingAngel327:** AT LEAST IT WAS ONLY A QUICK FIGHT! But fair warning, I have a more serious fight planned next time. :') And Juvia was sad, but didn't take anything out on Lucy or Gray because she's kind. :') Thank you so much! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Hahaha the ships have been repaired! :D For now. ;) And oh yeah, Natsu is a real pain in the ass when he's mad. :')

 **FireShifter:** Well, looks like her dad found out. :') And they all made up! :D

 **Avhaskake:** Hahaha Lucy can be as scary as Erza when she wants to be! :D And ahh thank you so much I always worry about that. :')

 **BloodedInk:** Lol I don't remember Nalu drama every happening yet tbh. :') And there will be more of it eventually too lol I love torturing the characters. And thank you so much haha I believe the next OVA will be even funnier though! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** LOL I WASN'T EITHER MY FINGERS JUST TYPED IT UP.

 **Nalulove:** I know, Juvia must've been devastated! But she's all good now. :')

 **Alexa60765:** You were right with the lying! There was a blowup! :D But overall she got away punishment free for now! :) And I didn't have them talk it out really because I just thought that since it was a happy day they would naturally forgive each other. And that's kinda how they are in the show too whenever they do something! They just eventually forgive each other lol.

 **IndianaCombs:** Oh yeah thanks for the OVA idea! :D And Jude did find out but he isn't taking it that far at least because he's trying to change. :')

 **Darkroses13:** Oh yeah it was just a lil drama haha. :) Gruvia's lasted longer and Jerza's was the longest. So I will add more drama for Nalu and Gajevy eventually. :)

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Ahh hello again! :D Glad you're all caught up! :D You were just in time to see the drama, but now it's fixed. :)

 **Lunahartz:** Lol glad you liked the drama while it lasted but it's all fixed now! :D

 **Lunalunafreya:** Thank you so much! :D And now you know how the daddy issues turned out! :D And if I had to choose one I think I would use Heavenly Body Magic (the thing Jellal uses). I think it's pretty and super strong. :')

 **Avhaskake:** Ahh thank you as always. :')


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** Hello everyone! :) Here's another long chapter, but not as long as the last one haha! Hope you all enjoy! :D

Chapter 20

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Friday)_

As my alarm started playing its generic melody, I stretched with a wide smile on my face before turning it off. After my birthday yesterday, I felt on top of the world. I quickly got dressed and practically skipped downstairs where my father was waiting at the dinner table. And with that, my good mood dropped.

"Good morning, Papa," I greeted nervously as I sat across from him. Even though my father let me hang out with my friends yesterday, I knew I wasn't out of punishment yet.

"Good morning, Lucy. Did you sleep well?" Jude questioned.

I arched a brow and nodded. "I did."

"Good. Because now you're grounded."

"What? Really?"

"Of course," Papa answered, taking a sip of his coffee. "Not only do you have terrible grades, you also _lied_ to me about them. Any parent would punish their child for that. Most parents use the term _grounding_ as punishment. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I'm sure it involves you coming home right after school and doing nothing but schoolwork."

My eyes widened and I shook my head. "Can we start that tomorrow?"

"Why?" Papa questioned in return.

"The truth is, my friends and I have been having a contest to decide where we're going for our fieldtrip. Today is our last match after school and I _have_ to be there! And…"

"And what?" my father asked, eyeing me.

"I-I was going to see a movie with someone," I answered with rosy cheeks.

"Let me guess, that _Natsu_ fellow?"

"H-How did you know his name?"

"I had Capricorn tell me so that I can issue a background check on him and the rest. Is he your boyfriend, Lucy? You know how I feel about you dating. Nothing good would come out of-"

"He's not my boyfriend," I interrupted. With all the courage I could muster up, I continued, "But I do have feelings for him and I want you to get to know him."

Jude's eyebrows shot up as he shook his head. "That is out of the question. That boy doesn't deserve you, Lucy. You are from two different worlds."

"But we're not! And even if we were, I don't want to be! He's my best friend and if you truly want to make amends with me, I want you to get used to him. To _all_ my friends, no matter how strange they are!"

Papa studied me over his newspaper before sighing. "Fine."

"Great!" I exclaimed with an excited grin. "Natsu will be coming over for dinner tomorrow night then! And you can get to know the rest some other time!"

"Tomorrow night? Are you forgetting the fact that you're grounded?"

I crossed my arms and puffed out my cheeks in a pout. Before my father would scold me into oblivion if he caught me making such an expression, but he was different now.

"This was my first slipup, it won't happen again! I promise! So can you please not ground me? Just this once?" I pleaded, puffing my bottom lip out.

Jude sighed and answered, "Fine. But you're to come home from now on after school every day unless I say it is okay for you to hang out with your _friends._ And you're going to meet with the tutors whenever I schedule you to. Oh, and there will be no dating. At least… At least not until I get the background check on this Natsu fellow and meet him for myself."

I giggled and replied, "You don't have to worry about that anyways. Natsu doesn't like me the way I like him."

"You're naïve, child. You're the most beautiful girl in the world, of course he likes you. Not to mention I saw the way he looked at you. He also called your outing a date."

My cheeks were set ablaze having this conversation with my dad. Still, it was one that I dreamed of having, so I persevered.

"N-No! That's our thing! We always call it a date but we don't mean it like that!" I denied.

"Sure you don't," Papa replied skeptically. "But be careful, Lucy. It's clear I can't protect you from everything anymore. You're too curious. I don't want you to get your heart broken when you're so young."

"I'll be careful," I told him with a warm smile. "I gotta go now. Bye!"

With that said, I raced out of the house and towards the limo with Capricorn.

"Your father is doing much better now, isn't he?" the older man questioned with a smile.

I nodded and answered, "He is. I actually felt like a normal daughter today."

"I'm glad that you're no longer lonely, Miss Lucy. I hope you aren't too old to need us anymore."

"Of course I still need you! You're my family!"

Capricorn smiled and nodded as we approached the school. After smiling and bidding farewell to the man, I ran towards the classroom, excited to see my friends. To my surprise, I was the last one to arrive and even _Natsu_ beat me!

"Good morning, everyone!" I greeted cheerfully.

"How did things go with your dad, Lu-chan!?" Levy asked frantically. I could understand why she was so worried, I never did update any of them.

"It went well!" I answered. "He really is changing! He was going to ground me but I convinced him not to. I have to meet up with a bunch of tutors, but that's not really a punishment."

"So Lucy can still hang out with us?" Juvia questioned.

"Yep! Well, not for a while. I have to come home after school every day starting on Monday. But my dad is letting me hang out with you still and even wants to meet you someday!"

"I'll pass," Gajeel muttered. "Your dad seems like a piece of work. He'd skin me alive or rip out my piercings."

"You're going whether you want to or not!" Levy scolded.

I giggled at the two's interaction before facing Natsu. His cheeks were oddly pink and his mouth was hung slightly open. Was there something on my face?

"You're wearing the ribbon again," he stated.

My eyes widened and my cheeks warmed as I nodded. "Yeah. It's my favorite now. I'm going to wear it every day, same with the necklace."

"T-That's cool."

"You two are so annoying," Gray teased. "Annoyingly oblivious."

Natsu growled and leapt towards the dark-haired boy, tackling him to the floor. But just like every other fight they've ever had, it didn't just end with a simple tackle. No, the boys rolled around on the floor, delivering harsh punches to each other's face until Sensei walked in and pulled them apart and bashed their heads together like coconuts.

"So how are you and Juvia?" I asked Gray as he scooted closer to me to work on our project.

His cool persona dropped immediately and his cheeks started blushing. "We're good. We actually have a date this Sunday."

"That's amazing!" I squeal. "That means that she's gonna keep all of us up so she can tell us all about it."

Gray chuckled and asked, "What about you and Natsu? Made any progress yet?"

"Not romantically, of course. He doesn't know how I feel and it's going to stay that way because I know he doesn't feel the same. But in regards of our friendship, it's all better now! He's taking me out to see a movie for my birthday and then tomorrow he's coming over to meet my dad!"

"He is!? That's a huge step! Romantically!"

"It is not! It's because he's my best friend!"

"I thought Levy was your best friend."

"Well, they're tied."

"If they're tied then why didn't you have Levy meet him too? Hell, you were friends with her before Natsu."

My cheeks tinted pink for the umpteenth time that day. "W-Whatever. It may be romantic for me, but it isn't for Natsu."

Gray smirked and replied, "Whatever you say."

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

After adding the finishing touches to our project, I smirked triumphantly at all of the work I- _we_ \- put in. We had a script for a skit prepared, a five paragraph paper, and a poster board full of facts on medieval knights. My favorite part of it all was the section on their armor and weapons. Oh if only we still lived in such a time.

" _We'll definitely ace this project."_

Was I going overboard? Of course not. I was student council president, I had to go above and beyond to set an example to the other students. My exams scores may not have been as good as Levy's or Lucy's, but the amount of dedication I put into my schoolwork far surpassed theirs.

Our projects were due next week and we were going to be starting presentations on Monday. I knew that Levy and Jellal were doing their project on astronomy and that Lucy and Gray were doing theirs on love, but truthfully I didn't know what Juvia and Gajeel's was about. No matter, I would find out when they presented.

When lunch began, I smiled softly watching Natsu rush towards Lucy with an excited grin plastered to his face. Gajeel and Levy were finally dating and Gray and Juvia had a date planned, even Jellal and I were making strides towards romance, and yet Natsu and Lucy were lagging behind. I knew better than to interfere, but perhaps a nudge in the right direction would help them. And I knew just how to do it.

"Have you guys heard about Cana's party next weekend?" Levy asked as she traded lunches with Lucy. I was a bit offended that Lucy never wanted to trade with me but figured it was for the best since I wouldn't trade my cake anyways.

"No, I haven't," Lucy answered, swiping away Natsu's hand as he reached for her sandwich.

"You probably wouldn't like it," Gray told her. "All they do is drink and get wasted."

"I figured as much since it's Cana we're talking about."

"Juvia thinks it could be fun," the blunette stated, latching onto Gray's arm, who blushed but didn't shrug her off. They were definitely making progress.

"Seriously?" Gajeel questioned as he munched on some of Levy's salad. "Didn't peg you as the drinking type."

"Juvia isn't. But Juvia thinks it could be a fun opportunity to hang out with her friends!"

"She's right!" Levy added. "We don't have to drink or anything. Cana said that we can swim if we wanted."

"She has a pool?" Natsu asked. "Is everyone at this school rich or something?"

Gray ignored the pinkette and added, "I'm down if everyone else is."

Soon enough, everyone else agreed to go to the party except for me. I was wary of going to one of Cana's parties. I had been there before in an attempt to scare the alcoholic into sobriety, but surprisingly I failed. Nothing could make that girl go sober. The risk of attending such a party was high. But…

"I think it could be fun," Jellal stated as he smiled at me. "We could go together."

My face heated up instantly as I stammered, "T-Together? Like as in a-"

"A date," the boy interrupted, smiling at me. His confidence was definitely growing. Before he was a shy boy, mysterious and unknown to everyone else. Now he was asking me on a date in front of everyone. It made me happy and nervous at the same time.

I could feel the rest of the group's eyes on me. I didn't have to look at them to know they were smiling smugly, because in truth I would do the same in this situation if it were one of my friends being asked out on a date. The words replayed in my head. A date. A date with Jellal.

" _Am I ready for a date?"_ I wondered anxiously. " _I know that I am working towards forgiveness, but am I ready for this? But what if I hurt Jellal by turning him down?"_

Seeing the patient smile on his face, I knew that he wouldn't take it to heart. He knew me enough to know that I am hesitant about many things.

" _He knows me. What am I thinking? I shouldn't pass up an opportunity simply because I am scared."_

Unable to look Jellal in the eyes, I stuttered, "I-I would be glad to accompany you."

His eyes lit up and his smile grew. "Great."

"Everyone is going on dates!" Juvia gushed, clasping her hands together. "Levy and Gajeel are a couple, Gray-sama and I have a date this Sunday, and now Erza and Jellal have a date next weekend! Oh, and Lucy and Natsu have a date tody!"

The group laughed as the last two blushed and denied that their outing for later was a date. It was entertaining to watch them deny their feelings. While everyone was too busy teasing Lucy and Natsu, Jellal's hand slid over my own. It was soft and warm. My body froze but ironically heated up as well. I decided to let him keep his hand on mine. If we were going to get back to what we once were, then I had to get more comfortable with the romance.

And now I had a date planned to help with that.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After school, the group and I met up on the track after getting changed into running clothes. It was the last day of our contest. This was going to decide whether or not we go to some plant place or a museum. Both bored me, but the museum sounded more tolerable then an oversized garden. There could be dragon stuff or something there, who knows.

I may have left Lucy win our individual contest, but I wasn't going to let her win this one. See, yesterday was her birthday, I couldn't crush her hopes and dreams then. Now, it was fair game. Besides, this gave me a chance to finally beat Erza at something and I wasn't going to pass it up.

Jellal handed Gray and Juvia a baton while the rest of us split up on the track to our designated spots. We were going in the same order as the individual contests. Gray would hand it to Jellal, who would hand it to Gajeel and then me.

Lucy and I walked together far away from everyone else and to the spot we were supposed to wait. I smirked at her and she smirked back.

"Ready to lose again, Dragneel?" Lucy taunted. I think that was one of my favorite sides of Lucy. She was so confident, it was honestly a turn on.

"I'm not gonna lose this time," I told her. "Yesterday you tricked me. I'm not falling for it this time. If you fall, you're on your own!"

"Rude! You're supposed to help me up and make sure I'm okay!"

"I'll make sure you're okay _after_ I cross the finish line!"

"Evil."

"Says the one that made me think they were hurt so they could win."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"See? Evil."

Lucy giggled and I grinned. Her laugh was so distracting and… _cute._ I hated that word because it's so girly but that was the only way I could describe her laugh. Her eyes wrinkled and her smile was beautiful. And her laugh itself was just… cute. Wow, I'm really not good at describing things, am I?

"Whoa, what are all of these people doing here?" Lucy asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I glanced around and noticed that the bleachers were almost full of people. Squinting, I saw that they were our classmates and other people in school. Even some seniors were sitting there watching us.

I shrugged and answered, "I guess they're here to watch us."

"Why would they wanna do that? I don't even know most of these people, do you?"

"Nah. But apparently they know us."

"That's creepy. Oh Mavis, that means they're going to see me running!" Lucy shouted, her face turning bright red.

"So?" I asked, amused at her reaction.

"I'm a terrible runner, it's embarrassing! And I'm a girl!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I-It's a girl thing."

"It's time to start!" Erza shouted from her spot. "Ready, set, go!"

And with that, Gray and Juvia started running. The girl surprised us again because she was actually fast on land just like she was in the water, though she wasn't as fast as Gray. She was only a foot behind him.

Gray handed Jellal the baton and he instantly started running. Juvia handed Erza the baton a second later and the demon started sprinting with all she had, easily passing Jellal. I'll admit, I was a little worried then, but knowing how slow Lucy was, I knew that I could bring it back.

Erza turned the corner and handed Levy the baton and the short girl instantly started running. A little later, Jellal handed Gajeel the baton and he quickly caught up. Though, Levy was faster than I figured she would be. She definitely improved since she first started training with Lucy. Still, Gajeel passed her. Until Levy yanked on his hair and made him fall back.

"Oi, that's cheating!" Gajeel shouted.

Levy kept running and replied, "Never said I couldn't!"

Still, even with her cheating, Gajeel easily caught up and beat her. I grinned when he handed me the baton and snickered hearing Lucy whine. I stuck my tongue out at her and waved before running away. Halfway to the finish line, I turned to see Lucy struggling to catch up. Feeling cocky, I stopped running and waited for her.

She glared at me and stopped by me and said, "You're getting cocky."

"Why don't you keep running?" I asked with a smirk. "I'm giving you a head start!"

Lucy crossed her arms and shot back, "I don't need one! At least, not one that you're offering me." I arched a brow in confusion while Lucy smirked at me. Then with a speed I didn't even know she had, she snatched my baton and threw it backwards. "Can't win without your baton!" And with that, she sprinted towards the finish line.

Dread and amusement filled me as I dashed back to my baton. Turning back around now with it in hand, I saw that Lucy was only seconds away from ending the race. I used all of the speed I could muster up and caught up. I was only a hair behind when Lucy's foot passed the finish line.

We lost.

The girls and a bunch of people in the stands cheered. Lucy was swarmed by the other girls and they jumped up and down while squealing. Even though we lost, I couldn't help but smile at them.

"Oi, that's not fair!" Gajeel shouted. "Two of you cheated!"

"He's right!" Gray added. "You know we would've won if Levy and Lucy didn't cheat!"

Erza glared at them and shot back, "You are the ones that made this race. You didn't tell us the rules so we assumed there weren't any other than passing the finish line with the baton."

"Maybe next time you should define the rules!" Lucy added with a smug grin. Damn I loved this girl. Wait, loved? No, no. Not loved. At least not like that. Or maybe I did love her like that? Man, this stuff was complicated.

"I guess they are right," Jellal stated, smiling at Erza. "Next time we'll be more careful."

"Damn right we will," Gajeel muttered.

Lucy walked up to me and gave me the biggest smirk I had ever seen. "Looks like you're taking me out to dinner after our movie tonight."

"I guess so," I replied with a chuckle.

"And they say it isn't a date," Juvia teased.

I smirked watching Lucy become all flustered. Alright. It was a date. For me at least.

Later that day, Lucy and I walked to the movie theater in town. At first she complained about walking so far but eventually gave up. There was no way I was going to get in a car, especially when the driver would have been the guy that got me tackled the day I went to Lucy's house.

When we got into the theater, we sat in the back row. The lights shut off while a bunch of trailers and ads started playing. One was a preview for a new action movie coming out. I definitely would have preferred watching that instead of the chick flick I was about to watch.

"Thank you for choosing this movie," Lucy whispered.

I smiled at her and replied, "Don't mention it. But next time we're watching an action movie!"

"Next time?" she asked with a smirk. "Who said there was gonna be a next time?"

I shrugged and answered, "I'm sure we'll more bets in the future, and next time I won't lose."

When the movie looked like it was about to start playing, I heard Lucy whisper something but couldn't understand her.

"What? I didn't hear you," I whispered.

Lucy leaned closer to me in her seat and for a second I thought she was going to kiss me. I gulped as her lips brushed my ear. I felt like a dragon with how hot my body started to feel and wondered if I should dump my soda over me.

"I said I hope you like the movie," she whispered. When she pulled away, our faces were close and we stared into each other's eyes, which was what I was expecting the characters in the movie to do, not us. Not like I minded it though. It was just unexpected and made me nervous.

And I am _not_ the nervous type.

When the movie finally started playing, Lucy leaned back in her seat and focused on the big screen. I turned my attention to it too but unlike her, I couldn't concentrate on it. Now my mind was too focused on everything Lucy did. How close she was, what she smelled like, and every quiet laugh she gave. I felt creepy honestly.

Halfway through the movie, I snapped out of my thoughts and tried concentrating on the movie. But now I didn't know anything that was happening. Hell, I didn't even know their names. It was something about some girl with severe amnesia and some boy had to make her fall in love with him every day. Honestly, it seemed like a hassle. Would I have done that for Lucy?

" _Yeah, I would."_

Reaching into the popcorn bucket, my fingers brushed against Lucy's because she was doing the same. I looked at her while she giggled quietly and took a bit of popcorn before handing me the bucket. Even though it was dark in the theater, I could still see her smile.

Maybe I really was in love with her.

After the movie, Lucy and I went out to dinner. Nothing too important happened other than Lucy nagging me about my manners. That was funny. Anyways, it was dark by the time we started walking back to her place. When we got to the front door, Lucy faced me and smiled, lacing her fingers behind her back. Damn she was cute.

"Thanks for tonight," she said.

I grinned and replied, "Don't be thanking me when the next one is on you."

"You wish," she teased. Call me crazy, but I could have sworn her eyes darted to my lips before she took a step closer. "I had a fun time."

"M-Me too." My mouth felt dry and my hands were sweating. Hell, all of me was sweating. I glanced at her lips. They sparkled under the moonlight. Not being able to fight it anymore, I began leaning towards Lucy, my eyes slowly closing. But before they closed, I saw her leaning forward too.

And then her old man threw open the door.

"Glad to see you're back, Lucy," he said, smiling at her.

Lucy squeaked and turned bright red. "P-Papa! What are you doing?"

"Making sure my daughter returned safely. Now go inside, I would like to… _thank_ Natsu for bringing you home safely."

Lucy glanced awkwardly between us before rushing inside. Her old man closed the door before glaring at me. Damn, he sure had a hell of a nasty glare. Must be where Lucy gets it from.

"Don't think I didn't see that," he spat out. "You are not to make another move like that on Lucy, do you understand?"

Knowing getting into an argument with her dad wouldn't be the best of ideas, I bowed respectively and gave him a sincere apology.

Sike.

"Well I can't now that you made her leave," I replied, smirking at him. "So what are we having for dinner tomorrow? I like meat."

"You're lucky I am trying to make progress with my daughter or else I would have hired a hitman to kill you."

"I'd like to see them try."

Giving me one last glare, Lucy's dad went back into their house and slammed the door in my face. Some might call that along with our contest a loss, but that day was yet another victory. There was no way my eyes were playing tricks on me. Lucy wanted to kiss me.

 **AN:** Some progress was made between our two dinguses. :') And PS, you will all find out about a certain someone soon! ;D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I really think that if Gray truly liked Lucy and she actually liked Gray, I think Juvia would be a supportive friend. :') And yes Jude and Lucy are making great progress! :'D

 **Lunahartz:** Oh I am a firm believer of drama. More will come eventually. ;D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hahaha thank you it was so full of stuff! :)

 **SingingAngel327:** I think it was a pretty expected reaction for someone that hasn't really been a dad for the past decade haha! But yeah he should definitely crack open a book on dealing with teens haha! And yes, the ships are fine for now. And good guesses on which ship I will mess with next. But imma have to leave you wondering. ;D

 **Alexa60765:** Hahaha I would encourage you to stay focused in class but I'm the same way. :') Glad you liked it! :D

 **Nalulove:** Haha thank you so much! :D

 **Avhaskake:** THANK YOU SO MUCH HAHA! And there's a lot of things left still! The projects (which truthfully aren't too important), the fieldtrip, and getting everyone canon haha! :D

 **Guest:** Oh it was so that Natsu could walk Lucy home! Without anyone else and giving the two time alone. :)

 **Lucydragneelft13:** HAHAHA WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH. Nobel Fanfic Writer, I like it lol.


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:** Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update! I like to update all of my stories together and Family was giving me a hard time so I couldn't update. Anyways, re-reading this chapter I found that I switched POV's so if I missed something somewhere, sorry. :')

Chapter 21

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Saturday)_

Rushing through the mansion I still refused to call home, I picked up anything that was where it didn't belong and put it in its rightful place. If there was a speck of dust, I cleaned it. If there was any trash laying anywhere, I picked it up. Was I going overboard? Maybe. But it was Natsu's first dinner at my place, one in which he would be meeting my dad under better circumstances.

Sure I could've had the staff clean it up like they were paid to do, but that was something I wasn't fond of doing. I preferred getting things done on my own. It wasn't like my legs were broken or anything. There was nothing hindering me from doing it myself.

"So, brat, finally got a boyfriend, huh?" a familiar and annoyed voice sounded from behind me while I fluffeded one of the cushions on the living room sofa.

I turned and smiled nervously while I answered, "He's not my boyfriend, Aquarius."

Aquarius was technically my swim coach, though I hadn't swam in years. Really she was only hired to teach me how to swim when I was a kid so that I wouldn't drown. But after becoming close friends with my mother- and somewhat my father- they decided to keep her along as my swim coach even after I learned to swim.

Aquarius was a woman in her twenties with fair skin and dark eyes that were usually narrowed in anger. Her hair was a bright blue, brighter than Levy's and Jellal's, that was slicked back, almost as if she had just gotten out of the pool. In all the time that I had known her, she always wore the same dangling crystal earrings and navy blue choker. Overall, the woman was beautiful but scary.

Aquarius was known for her attitude and temper. Since my mother died, I spent a lot of time trying to bug Aquarius to play with me when I was a kid. She would always get mad, but sometimes she would play with me. Truthfully, she was my first friend, there to keep me company in the loneliness of the mansion until Loke showed up.

"Huh? He's not your boyfriend?" Aquarius asked. "Then why the hell is he coming over here?"

I flushed from head to toe as I averted my gaze and answered, "B-Because I want Papa to get to know him."

Aquarius smirked and asked, "Huh? Is that right? Well then it looks like you're growing up, brat. It's about damn time you start dating. Then again, you'll never land a guy with your annoying personality."

"Oh hush! I am not annoying! And I'm not trying to get Natsu to be my boyfriend anyways!"

"You aren't?"

"No. He doesn't like me like that."

"Your father said otherwise."

"Well he doesn't know what he's talking about."

Aquarius gave an annoyed sigh.

"Maybe you should pay close attention around him," Aquarius suggested. "You think he doesn't feel the same? Watch him and find out. Watch his body language, expressions, and tone of voice. Compare it to how he is around others. If he doesn't like you, sucks for you. If he does, maybe you'll stop being an annoying brat in denial and accept it already."

"Your advice always has some sort of insult," I replied with a sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll watch him. Now can I get back to cleaning?"

Aquarius smirked before leaving me alone.

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

After throwing on my favorite orange sundress, I slipped on my sandals and raced out the door. I already had the route to Gajeel's apartment memorized, whether it be from my house or from the school. I could even walk there from Lucy's house if I wanted, but she lived far away that I don't think I would survive the walk.

Gajeel wasn't expecting me to come over today. I didn't really know I was either until I realized none of my books were interesting me and I needed something to do. What could beat spending time with my newfound boyfriend?

It hadn't even been a whole week of dating Gajeel and yet he seemed like the most important thing in my world. I knew I was moving too fast with my feelings but I couldn't help it. Truthfully, I caught myself wondering if I was in love. It sure _felt_ like it. But then again, how would I know what love felt like?

I've read about it countless times and yet I still didn't have my head completely wrapped around the idea. Things were so new to me, the touches, the blushing, all of it. We kissed plenty of times- some of them pretty explicit- so maybe I was in love.

I shook my head and thought, " _No. If I was in love, I would know."_

And I believed that. I cared for Gajeel a lot but I wasn't in love with him. Not yet at least.

When I reached Gajeel's apartment, I knocked twice before his adoptive grandmother opened the door. The woman was kind towards me and I could tell she cared deeply for Gajeel as if he was her own flesh and blood. She was accepting of our relationship and made me feel like I could join their little family someday.

"Hello, Levy," she greeted with a kind smile.

"Hello," I replied. "Is Gajeel here?"

"He's actually at the shop for today. He told me he asked for longer hours and they are finally giving it to him. I'm sure the brat wouldn't mind if you dropped in on him."

"Oh okay. I guess I'll do that then! Goodbye!"

It took me another ten minutes until I was finally approaching the mechanic shop Gajeel worked part-time in. I heard before from Jellal that Gajeel used to skip school to work, so I knew that he must've loved his job. That, or he really hated school. Maybe even a combination of both.

Opening the door, I was met with the scent of oil and the sight of a bunch of cars. Some were new and probably only there for an oil change and others were banged up from accidents. Not being much of a car person, I didn't bother inspecting any of them. Instead, I went to ask the receptionist if Gajeel was there, only to be interrupted by the boy himself.

"What are you doing here, Shrimp?" he asked.

I turned around to face him and my heart stopped at the sight of him. He was in a basic tank top, showing off his muscular arms. Seriously, his muscles were probably bigger than my head. A bandana kept his hair out of his face and grime was all over him and yet I found him hot. Incredibly hot.

" _Is he seriously my boyfriend?"_ I wondered, practically drooling over Gajeel. I couldn't tear my eyes away. How could someone so attractive be with someone like me?

Gajeel smirked, noticing me ogling him before notifying the person I thought was the receptionist but turned out being the manager that he was taking a break. Dragging me outside of the shop, he pulled me towards a bench outside and we sat down.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked again.

I felt my face warm up as I answered, "I just wanted to see you."

Gajeel raised a brow and asked, "Really? Why?"

"What do you mean why?" I asked irately. "Did you forget you're my boyfriend?"

"No but I figured you would be busy working on your project or something. Our presentations are due next week and I'm pretty sure you're the type to stress about it."

"I don't stress about schoolwork, it's easy to me, remember? And I have Jellal as a partner so he actually helps me."

"Alright. Don't want you being like Bunny Girl, getting distracted and stuff. Then your parents will never let you hang out with me. I mean, if you ever tell them about me in the first place."

"I'll tell them about you!" I stated, crossing my arms with a huff. "Just not yet… They're kinda traditional so I don't know how they'll take it."

Gajeel smirked and asked, "You mean that their daughter is dating a bad guy? I'm telling you now that my piercings ain't coming out, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't ask you to take them out anyways. And you aren't a bad guy, Gajeel. You just didn't pay enough attention before in school. And you never listened to the teachers. And you skipped school. Alright, so you may be a bad boy. But hey, I like that."

"Oh really?" Gajeel asked with a smirk. "Little ol' Levy is into the bad boys huh? Does that mean I should go back to how I was before?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" I protested. "I meant that I like your courage that came with the bad boy act. You had a carefree life and I like your roughness. It makes you different, deeper. It makes you interesting."

Gajeel's cheeks turned pink as he averted his gaze, probably in an attempt to hide it. But I saw, and it made me giggle. Gajeel was rough around the edges but deep down he was like a teddy bear. A teddy bear with sharp teeth.

"I'm starving, let's go get something to eat," Gajeel said as he stood up from the bench.

I smirked and asked, "Are you asking me on a date?" Wow, before I would never have the courage to say something confident like that to a boy. But witih Gajeel it was like I could really be myself: a snarky nerd.

The boy blushed again and cursed under his breath before gently grabbing my wrist and leading me to who knows where. I glanced at his hand that was encircling my wrist and frowned. As nice as it was to have any physical contact, I wanted something a bit more… romantic. With crimson cheeks, I slid my hand out of his hold and into his hand and intertwined our fingers. I felt Gajeel tense but he didn't snatch his hand away, so that was a good sign.

With a triumphant smile, I let Gajeel lead the way silently to wherever he wanted to go for lunch. Most people might think the silence was weird, but it was comfortable with him. Everything was comfortable with him, but also nerve-wracking at the same time. Gajeel was a contradiction.

Gajeel stopped outside of Subway and asked, "You like this place?"

"I guess," I answered with a shrug. "I'm not really hungry."

With that, we stepped inside the store. Gajeel told me to sit down while he ordered his food and I obliged. After he paid for everything and got his sandwich, he sat in the seat opposite from me and began scarfing the sandwich down.

"Sorry I ain't great company today," Gajeel started after swallowing his bite of food. I was honestly surprised he had manners. I figured he was like Natsu, who talked with a full mouth. "I got work today and my break ain't long so I wanna eat while I can. Ain't much of a date."

"That's okay," I replied with a smile. And I meant it. It didn't matter what I was doing with him so long as I was with him.

So, I watched as he ate his sandwich and listened as he told me about his job, and the whole time, a smile stayed plastered to my face.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

Once I reached Lucy's house, I gulped before knocking three times on the door. I glanced down to look at my outfit. I was wearing black jeans and a red tee shirt with a dragon on it. Not exactly formal attire to be meeting Lucy's overly strict dad. But hey, she told me to dress normally so if he didn't like it, I could just blame her.

Was I excited about this dinner? Hell no. Well, maybe a little. But only because I would be able to see Lucy. But being around Lucy's dad? No way. It already sucked since he hated me and blamed me for Lucy's bad grades. It's like I was walking into the lion's den.

I was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing the maid I met last time with pink hair. Oh, and she had that weird kink! What was her name again? Burger? Wait, no! Virgo! My memory ain't that bad after all!

"Hello, Natsu-san," Virgo said with a bow. Wow, this place really was formal. "Come on in. Princess and Jude-san are waiting in the dining room. I shall escort you there."

"Uhh, thanks?" I replied, following. Lucy's house was just as big and fancy as the last time I came over.

When we got into the dining room, I grinned seeing Lucy. She smiled back at me and I noticed that even though she told me not to dress up, she went and dressed up! She was wearing a pink dress that went down to her thighs and her hair was curled and everything! Was she setting me up? Maybe.

Then I saw Jude. The guy was wearing another suit and was giving me another cold glare, colder than the ice cream served at Freezies. But when Lucy turned to look at him, he dropped the glare immediately and smiled at her. Fake bastard.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lucy greeted, gesturing to the seat next to her. "Sit here!"

"Okay," I replied, taking my seat. I decided to keep my attention on Lucy unless Jude was talking. That would make things less awkward.

"Papa, this is Natsu. My best friend," Lucy said, giving her dad a smile that said _If you don't be nice then I will hurt you._

Jude seemed to understand the look and gave me a clearly forced smile. "It's nice to see you again, Natsu."

"Likewise," I replied.

The three of us then sat in complete silence and man it was awkward. Lucy tried starting a conversation but could never start one that involved all three of us. It was either she talked to me or she talked to her dad.

When Virgo set the food in front of us, I frowned seeing nothing but salad and a tray of finger sandwiches. I was hoping there would be meat or something spicy. Still, I was starving so I went ahead and grabbed as much food as I knew I would be able to eat, which ended up being half the tray of sandwiches and a decent amount of the salad. I could see Jude glaring at me again from the corner of my eye and I had to fight the urge to laugh.

Man, annoying Jude was almost as fun as annoying Lucy.

"So Natsu," Jude started as he picked up some sandwiches with that one pincher-utensil. Shit. Maybe that's why he was glaring at me. I used my hands. Oh well. "How are your grades in school?"

With a full mouth I answered, "Not too good but I'll pass."

"Not too good? Care to elaborate?"

"You know, a few C's and a D. But I also have a B+ so that's pretty good!"

"You have a _D?_ Do you not study?"

"Not really. A D is passing so there's no need to."

Jude glanced at Lucy, who awkwardly chuckled. Was I saying something wrong? I was just telling the truth. Lucy told me to be myself, and I ain't a liar.

"Natsu is better at sports than with grades," Lucy told her dad with a smile. "He's captain of the soccer team!"

"That's not going to get him into any universities," he replied. Honestly, I would've been offended if I actually wanted to go to college. But I didn't.

"I don't wanna go to college anyways," I said.

"You don't?" they both replied at the same time.

I shrugged and answered, "Nah. School ain't my thing."

"Clearly," Jude replied. "What are your plans then after high school?"

"Don't really have any yet."

"And your parents are okay with that?"

"Don't got any."

Jude quickly shut his mouth after that. Which was good. That conversation was definitely going to some bad places. We ate our food in silence the rest of the dinner. I glanced at Lucy and saw that she was frowning and it made me feel guilty.

Should I have lied? Should I have dressed up and pretended to be some fancy geezer with good grades and plans after high school? Would that have made Lucy happy?

" _Nah. She's friends with me because of who I am and she told me not to pretend anyways."_

Virgo came by along with some other maids and took our dishes and the leftover food. I was starting to sweat with how awkward it was. Nobody was saying anything. So I decided to be the one to speak.

"Thanks for letting me hang out with your daughter more," I said to Jude. And I meant that honestly. He could've prohibited it or something but he didn't. And I was grateful for that. "I know I ain't the most fancy of guys, so thanks."

"I am not doing it for you, I am doing it for my daughter," Jude replied.

I shrugged. "Whatever your reason, thanks. Lucy's my best friend, it would've sucked if I had to sneak around to hang out with her."

"You're saying that you would have snuck around my back to hang out with Lucy?"

"Hell yeah! Gotta hang out with her somehow!"

I grinned at Lucy, who giggled behind her hands. I loved making her laugh. Then I turned and saw Jude glaring at me.

"Alright, Lucy. I will escort Natsu out. Say your goodbyes now," he said. And with that, I knew I was screwed.

Lucy looked reluctant to go but knew better than to argue with her father after what happened with her grades and everything. She smiled at me and said, "Bye, Natsu. I'll see you at school on Monday."

"Alright. Later, Luce," I replied. She then left the room and went upstairs to her room while I had to follow her dad outside.

Once we got outside, Jude closed the door behind him and glared at me.

"You are a terrible influence on my daughter," he stated, crossing his arms.

And honestly, I couldn't deny that. It was true. Lucy used to be the second-highest ranked kid in our grade. Now she was in the teens. But hey, that wasn't enough to stop either of us.

"I might be," I replied with a smirk, "but I also make her laugh and smile. She loosens up around me. I think you could use some loosening up too. You're too uptight."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. And you know what, I may not be some fancy prick, but I am still Lucy's best friend, so that's something good about me. I'm never going to be the guy that you want your daughter hanging around because I am never going to change who I am. And I wouldn't expect Lucy to change herself either. If you ask me, I'm the perfect guy to be hanging around Lucy."

Jude studied me before shaking his head. "Is there no amount of money I can pay you to leave my daughter alone?"

"Hell no!" I answered.

"Not even ten thousand dollars?"

"Not even for a million, geezer!"

Jude sighed and shook his head. "Alright. If my daughter means that much to you, then I shall allow your little friendship to continue. But only if you answer one question for me. And you have to be honest, boy."

"What is it?" I asked, fired up to finally have the guy's approval.

"Are you in love with my daughter?"

And with that, all of my resolve disappeared and I was left a blushing mess. Seriously, just a seven-word question had that effect on me. The worst part of it was that I didn't know the answer. So I decided to tell the truth.

"I don't know," I answered, my cheeks still warm. "I don't know if I can call whatever this is love. I ain't too experienced. But it doesn't matter. Lucy doesn't feel the same and I'm not going to act on these feelings because of it. Our friendship means too much."

I swear I saw the corners of Jude's lips twitch upwards into a smile.

"Alright," he said. "I will let you continue to be my daughter's friend. And if she ever lets you move forward, I'll allow that as well. But if you _ever_ break my daughter's heart, I _will_ have my hitmen come after you. Got that, boy?"

"Loud and clear," I answered with a grin.

"Oh, and there is another term to our agreement. You will be attending tutoring sessions with my daughter."

"What!? Why?"

"Because your grades are horrendous and I will not allow my daughter to hang out with someone like that. I will look out for Lucy's friends, even if they are pains in the ass. Are you saying that you will not do this simple task for Lucy?"

I glared at the old man and answered, "Of course I'll do it for her."

Jude smirked and replied, "Great. Then I will see you here after you get out of school on Monday."

With that, Jude went back into the house and closed the door without giving me another glance. Was today fun? Not at all. Did it go smoothly at least? Nope. But did I get Jude's approval? Yep! And that was enough for me.

And he even gave me approval to date Lucy if it ever came down to it. Would it? Nah, probably not. But it was cool having the option. So, that day was yet another victory for me. I've been having so many victories with Lucy lately it got me thinking.

When am I gonna have a loss?

Because there's no way in hell the universe will just let me keep winning.

 **AN:** Hope you all liked the chapter. :)

 **SingingAngel327:** I can totally see Layla being the one with the pants lol. And Jude was the awkward dad haha! But he's going to get even better from here on out. :') And they go to the garden on Friday! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** That was my favorite part too lmao. I think if Natsu ever got the chance to talk to Jude before he died he would totally be sassy lol. Thank you so much! :D

 **Guest:** OMFG I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS SPELLED THAT WAY. Thank you so much for correcting me, seriously. Now I know not to use it that way. :') lol I can't believe I've been spelling it wrong this entire time.

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! :D And the Gruvia date will be next chapter! :D

 **Flire and Ice:** No it was actually based on the movie 50 First Dates! I've never heard of that anime before! I should totally check it out!

 **Lucydragneelft13:** Ahhh I'm glad I cheered you up! :')

 **Nalulove:** I agree, I will have the next Jerza moment longer. :) And thank you so much! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Hahaha Jude completely destroyed that moment haha! And thank you so much, hope the dinner scene was acceptable. :')

 **.Heartfilia:** AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I saw you reviewed for New Beginnings too, thank you so much. :') Glad you like it! :D

 **BloodedInk:** Haha the two dinguses will get there eventually! And thank you so much I'm trying to work on my pacing. :')

 **Grizzly98:** Haha you see more of Jude's different attitudes towards them this chapter too! :D And I just had to let the girls win, even if it resorted to them cheating haha! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Hahaha sounds like first you gotta decide sis! ;D

 **LunafreyaLuna:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT! And omg I don't even have a clue with this new question lol. And a weird fact about me is that I love nail art! I have over 200 bottles of nail polish. :') And thank you! Even though I may be late updating sometimes, I refuse to leave a Nalu story unfinished. :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** HAHAHA THANK YOU THAT WAS MY FAV PART TOO.

 **Charcoal Kitten:** Thank you so much! :D And I know, I wish my high school experience was like this lol. And in regards to the cursing and whatnot, the story is rated T so there will be some more adulty themes. :) And in truth, most high schoolers do take their relationship to far levels. Don't worry though, there will be no lemon in this story. :)

 **Avhaskake:** Haha Jude is always threatening Natsu it's amazing. :')

 **IndianaCombs:** Would that be a good OVA idea for Erza? And yes they are all having a good time even if they lost. :)

 **Darkroses13:** Haha yes our two dinguses are getting closer! :D

 **| Death of a Legacy |:** Well, Natsu deserved it lol. And if you meant to say that you're dropping this fic, good for you? Lmao.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Sunday)_

Waking up, I grinned as I read through all of my new messages. There was a bunch from Levy- probably about her lunch date with Gajeel- one from Erza, a couple from Gray, one from Juvia, and a million from Natsu. Seriously, the boy made sure to send a message after every sentence instead of typing it all together. Still, they always brought smiles to my face.

Grabbing my phone, I typed a quick reply.

"Morning! :)" I sent.

In seconds I got a reply.

"Morning, Luce!" Natsu replied. "Took you long enough to wake up!"

My fingers moved swiftly, typing out, "Whatever. :P Did my dad say anything weird to you last night?"

"Yep! Like father like daughter!"

"Shut up! What did he say?"

"That's a secret."

I pouted and typed back, "You better tell me!"

"Or what?" Natsu replied. I could just imagine his smirk.

"Or else I'm not going to hang out with you anymore!" Okay, that was a lie. But I really wanted to know what happened. My dad wouldn't tell me no matter how much I begged him to last night so getting it out of Natsu was my only option. What if my dad told him about my feelings?

"You're lying!" Natsu replied, causing me to curse under my breath. He knew me too well. "I ain't telling you!"

"Fine. Jerk. So if you wake up so early why are you usually late to school?"

"I like to play with Happy! He misses you."

"I'm sure he does. :)"

"When are you going to come over next time?"

"Who said there was going to be a next time?"

"Me!"

I giggled reading the new text. Then I read the ones from Levy. Apparently she and Gajeel had a small date yesterday and wanted me to know every detail, but reading it wasn't the same. I wanted to hear it from her. With a wide grin, I left my room and hurried towards my father's study, knocking twice before entering.

My father raised a brow and asked, "Lucy? Did you need something?"

"Morning, Papa. I was wondering if I could have some friends over today," I answered with a small smile.

Father narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is it Natsu again? You just saw the boy!"

"No, not him! My female friends!"

"Ahh. Well, I have a video chat meeting today, so you girls will have to be quiet and I cannot be disturbed. And make sure they stay for dinner, I would love to meet them."

"Okay!" I exclaimed with a wide grin, leaving the room. I didn't have to worry about dinner this time. The girls were much more respectful than Natsu and they had good grades and whatnot. They would be fine.

Grabbing my phone, I sent a quick text in the group chat I had with the girls.

"You guys wanna come over today?" I asked.

Almost immediately I got a reply.

"Is it okay with your dad?" Levy asked.

"Yep! He wants to meet you all over dinner!"

"Sounds good! I'll come!"

"I will too," Erza chimed in. "It would be smart to get on better terms with your father since the last time wasn't too great."

"Juvia wants to go too but she has a date with Gray! Juvia won't be able to stay for dinner" the blunette texted.

I smiled and typed back, "That's okay! You can just hang out here for a little bit before your date."

"Okay! Juvia will be there then!"

"Alright. Come over at 1!"

With that, I locked my phone and headed towards her room to shower. I let the steaming hot water pelt my body and relieve it of its stress from our contest. I wasn't exactly the sporty type, so doing so much exercise took a toll on my body.

After that, I threw on somewhat cute clothes but nothing too fancy since I wasn't leaving the house. I wore a green pleated skirt and a matching green and white striped tank top, leaving my hair down for the day.

Finally, one o'clock arrived in the blink of an eye and Virgo knocked on my door to let me know that my friends were there. After thanking Virgo, I rushed down the stairs and to the front door, opening it to find Erza and Juvia. It made sense that they arrived together since they lived close to each other.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted with an eager smile.

"Hello, Lucy," the two replied in unison.

I scooted over to allow them room to come in and was about to close the door when I heard someone shout my name. Glancing down the street, I found Levy running up to my house, her little legs moving as fast as they could until she stopped just in front of me, panting for air.

I giggled and said, "Hi, Levy-chan!"

The petite girl inhaled deeply before smiling and replying, "Hi, Lu-chan! Hi Erza, Juvia! I have so much to update you on!"

With that, we rushed up the stairs in an almost childish way, our giggles filling the big house. I closed the door behind me and we all got comfortable on my bed. Erza and Juvia leaned their backs on the wall at the end of the bed while Levy and I leaned against the headboard.

"Juvia wants to hear about Levy's date with Gajeel!" the blunette exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "It was Gajeel's first date! And Levy's!"

Erza nodded and added, "I as well would like to hear about this date. Hopefully you two kept it PG."

Levy flushed from head to toe, contrasting with her hair color. "Of course we did! We were out in public, Erza!"

"That is good. If you ever decide to move forward in your relationship, make sure to use protection."

Levy and I groaned while Juvia simply sighed. Erza always tended to say things that were weird to talk about. When Levy calmed back down, she finally started to tell us about her date.

"It wasn't anything too special," she stated, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "I went to his house but his grandma told me that he wasn't there. So then I went to the shop he works in and we went to Subway for his lunch and I watched him eat and listened to him tell me how work was."

"Is that all?" Erza asked with an arched brow.

"Yep! I know it doesn't sound like much, but it felt great! I just feel so comfortable around Gajeel! We could just be sitting around and not doing anything and I'd still have fun."

"That sounds great," I replied with a smile. I could relate to that. After all, that's how I felt with Natsu.

"Now Juvia can't wait for her date! Juvia is too excited!" the girl exclaimed, clutching my pillow tight against her chest.

"How are things with Gray anyways?" Erza asked. "Are you two dating?"

Juvia shook her head and answered, "Gray-sama wants to take things slow. He is taking Juvia on dates first so we can get to know each other."

"And you're okay with taking things slow?" I asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't Juvia be?"

"Well, you aren't exactly the slow type. You said you fell in love with Gray the moment you saw him."

"Juvia did. Anyways, Juvia does not mind how slow we take things because she knows Gray-sama feels the same!"

"What are you two doing?" Levy asked.

"Juvia doesn't know. Gray-sama is keeping it a surprise. All he told Juvia is to dress warm."

"Maybe you guys are going for a walk," Erza suggested. "I guess we'll hear it from you later. So, Lucy, how was dinner with Natsu and your father?"

And that was when I realized that after all this time, I never told any of the girls about my feelings for Natsu. Hell, I told Gray but I never told them! They deserved to know more than anyone.

I embarrassedly stammered, "I-I've been meaning to tell you guys about this for a few days now but I guess I just forgot. Umm, you see… I may or may not like somebody. _Like_ like somebody. Maybe even more than like but I'm not going to say for sure because I don't know if I actually do or not."

The three girls' eyes widened and they shared a quick glance before looking back at me. And then they all gave huge grins.

"Finally!" Levy exclaimed. "You finally see it!"

"Juvia knew it would happen from the start!" the blunette added.

"So tell us what happened with you and Natsu," Erza chimed in.

"Wait, how did you know I was talking about Natsu?" I asked, my face red with heat. I'm sure my whole body was flushed.

"It's so obvious you like him!" Levy answered. "You two are always hanging out and talking! You text him more than you text me now! Anyways, did something happen?"

"At dinner? Not really. Nothing too important other than my dad talking to him and making me go to my room. But it was the night before. When we went to the movies."

"You mean when you went on a date?"

"It wasn't a date!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Enough!" Erza barked. "I want to know what happened after Lucy's date!"

Instead of denying it was a date again- I knew better than to challenge Erza- I swallowed thickly and stated, "When he dropped me off, I was going to kiss him!"

"WHAT!?" the three girls shouted in unison.

"Shh! My dad has some work meeting or whatever. A-Anyways, yeah. I was going to kiss him."

"Don't think you're getting away with just saying that!" Levy scolded. "Spill!"

"Fine!" I replied, crossing my arms. "I mean, I don't know. We had a lot of fun and when we got to my front door I couldn't fight it anymore. It was a beautiful night and it felt like I was supposed to so I leaned in."

"And then what?" Juvia asked.

I sighed and answered, "And then my dad threw open the door."

The girls groaned and Erza asked, "Did Natsu try to kiss you too?"

"I don't know," I replied truthfully with a frown. "It was dark. B=But I thought I saw him lean in, I don't know… I don't want to say he did because I don't want to get my hopes up."

"You should ask him."

"No way! That's too embarrassing!"

"Are you going to tell him you like him?" Levy asked.

"I wasn't planning on it…" I answered, my hands fumbling.

"Juvia thinks you should. Juvia has been rejected many times by Gray-sama and it hurts, but it's worth it in the end," the girl explained.

Erza nodded and added, "I agree. You'll never know unless you ask."

"I-I don't think I could ever just ask," I replied.

"Sure you can. You just have to be brave."

Swallowing thickly, I nodded my head reluctantly. Levy was brave and she and Gajeel are dating now. Juvia was brave and she had a date with Gray later. Erza was brave and she was making strides with Jellal. All I had to do was be brave and hope that Natsu felt the same way about me. And there was only way to find out.

I was going to have to confess.

* * *

 _Juvia P.O.V._

After leaving Lucy's house, Juvia waved her friends goodbye as she left, ready for her date with Gray-sama. Juvia's heart had yet to calm since she was asked out on Thursday. She had thought she was ready to give up on love but was glad she didn't. After all, love fueled Juvia to keep going. And now Juvia's heart was overjoyed.

Juvia made sure to dress well that day. Since it was getting colder with summer's disappearance, Juvia made sure to dress warm, especially since Gray-sama told her to. So, Juvia wore a long dress that went to her ankles that had a slit on the side, revealing up to her thigh. Though a dress doesn't sound warm, it was thick with warm fur at the end of the sleeves, and Juvia also wore a matching shawl to add extra layers. On top of Juvia's head was a large hat of the same azure shade, trimmed with fur.

Juvia thought of borrowing one of Lucy's many ribbons but figured that the hat appealed her best. Speaking of Lucy, Juvia knew that she and Natsu were meant to be from the start. Alright, she may have doubted Lucy's feelings for a moment, believing that she was in love with Gray-sama. But overall Juvia was aware of their feelings before even they were! Juvia is a love expert!

A small smile grew on Juvia's face as she thought of all of her friends. Before, Juvia was always bullied for an array of reasons, and now she had friends that liked her for her. Not only that, but they were all falling in love! What a glorious thing!

Juvia released a happy sigh as she stared at the night sky. Though she didn't love stars as much as Lucy, she could admit they were beautiful.

When Juvia arrived at Gray-sama's house- she offered to walk there because she was going to be leaving Lucy's house anyways- she knocked nervously twice on the door. Ultear opened it and glanced at Juvia uninterestedly before shouting my arrival, and Lyon waved while watching TV. Gray-sama had such a wonderful family.

Juvia's heart soared in her chest and she clasped her hands together when she saw Gray-sama approaching. He was dressed in a white coat, a black undershirt peeking through and baggy pants. His face was set in its usual, stony expression. The one that Juvia fell in love with at first sight.

"Hey, Juvia," Gray greeted, his cheeks lightly tinting pink. It was then that Juvia remembered he wanted to take things slow and that she needed to tone it down and be patient.

Thus, with a small smile, she replied, "Hello, Gray-sama."

Gray eyed Juvia's outfit, making her squirm in her spot, flustered to have his complete attention. "Nice outfit. It'll keep you warm for what I have planned."

"What exactly is Gray-sama's plan?"

"That's a surprise. C'mon, let's go."

Gray-sama grabbed Juvia's wrist gently and began to lead the way after saying goodbye to his siblings. Juvia's skin heated under his touch and she fought the urge to grab his hand. If he wanted to take things slow, she would control her urges, no matter how hard it was.

After walking for about twenty minutes, Gray stopped outside of a large, dome-shaped building, white in color. Juvia couldn't tell what it was and simply followed the boy inside. Upon entrance, Juvia glanced around, noting the drastic temperature drop. People were struggling to walk around, due to the skates they wore.

Gray-sama took Juvia to an ice rink.

" _Ahh how romantic!"_ Juvia internally squealed. " _Juvia and Gray-sama are going ice skating! We can hold hands and sing and-!"_

"C'mon, Juvia. Let's go get our skates," Gray-sama instructed, leading Juvia towards the cashier.

Juvia glared harshly at the cashier, who was about the same age as them and was ogling at her Gray-sama. Wasn't it obvious they were on a date? Juvia never imagined she would have to fend off love rivals on a date! Oh well, Juvia should've known. Gray-sama is too handsome to be able to walk around without gaining any attention.

Gray and Juvia sat on a bench while we put on our skates, which were heavier than Juvia imagined. When Juvia tried to stand, she almost fell down because it was hard to balance, but luckily Gray caught her, making her body warm despite the chilly temperature of the building. He then led the way towards the ice rink, where other people, mostly couples, were already skating.

Gray-sama stepped onto the ice with ease while Juvia nearly slipped the moment her skate touched the ice. At least there were rails surrounding the rink for people like Juvia that had never ice skated before. Gray chuckled and grabbed Juvia's hand- Juvia nearly fainted- and slowly skated, dragging her along.

Our movements left lines in the ice as we went and it definitely needed to be smoothed over from everyone else's skating. Still, it was a lot of fun. Juvia was getting the hang of it and though she loved holding Gray-sama's hand, she let go to try it on her own. Only to fall back on her bum.

"Ouch," Juvia complained, rubbing her aching bum.

Gray chuckled and helped Juvia up. "It takes a while to get used to."

"Did Gray-sama fall when he first started?"

"Well, no. But don't worry, you'll get better. Wanna try again?"

"Yes!"

And that was exactly what we did. Just like Gray said, Juvia did get better and eventually was able to skate without his help. Gray was actually really good. He was able to skate on one leg and twirl and a whole bunch of other things. Juvia fell in love with the most perfect boy in the world!

When our time expired, Gray helped Juvia out of the rink and towards the bench because her ankles were hurting a bit. Juvia was better in the water than on land. After returning the skates and leaving the building, we stared at the night sky with smiles plastered on our faces.

"Do you have a time you need to be home?" Gray asked.

"Juvia needs to be home before ten," Juvia answered. It was 8:30, giving us more time to hang out, which Juvia wanted more than anything.

Gray smiled and nodded, taking Juvia to wherever the next surprise was. The walk was actually very short and we stopped outside of a crepe shop. Upon entering, Juvia's nose was filled with a sweet scent.

"You like crepes?" Gray asked.

"Yes!" Juvia answered.

"Good. I think this place has the best crepes in Magnolia."

With that, Gray ordered the crepes. He got a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Juvia's had a bit more, including bananas and whipped cream. We ate and told each other stories to get to know each other. Juvia thought she knew everything about Gray but apparently not. And she wanted to learn more. Perhaps waiting wasn't a bad idea at all.

Five minutes before ten, Gray and Juvia stopped outside of Juvia's house. It was a decent sized house with two stories, painted a light blue and outlined with white. Juvia's parents weren't rich like Lucy's but we were better off than many others.

"Thank you for taking Juvia out on a date," Juvia stated, her cheeks flushing pink. Though she wore her heart on a sleeve almost all the time, she still got flustered sometimes around Gray.

"Thanks for coming," Gray replied, turning away to hide his own pink cheeks. "D-Did you have fun? This was my first date so it might not have been-"

"Juvia had a lot of fun. It was perfect," Juvia interrupted with a kind smile, one that was reciprocated. "J-Juvia would like to go on another one if Gray-sama still wants to…"

"I do. Next time you can choose what we do, alright? Oi, it's already 9:58, maybe you should go inside so your parents don't get mad."

"Alright. Good night, Gray-sama."

"Night, Juvia."

Juvia reached for the doorknob, ready to go inside and call her friends to gush about her date- which would take hours- when a cold hand encircled her wrist. Gently turning Juvia around, Gray-sama turned his embarrassed gaze to the ground. He visibly gulped before taking a step towards Juvia and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Juvia brought her hand to the spot and stared at her date with wide eyes and a red face. Her entire body felt light as a feather and warm as a sauna.

"W-Well, later!" Gray-sama exclaimed nervously before turning around and running away.

Juvia snapped out of her trance and giggled. Gray-sama wasn't used to showing his feelings and yet he just kissed Juvia.

Now she _definitely_ had to call her friends.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After feeding Happy and playing with him for a while, I lied in bed and stared at my phone. Something was up with Lucy. She started acting funny and only sent one-word replies. I read through our messages to see if maybe I sent something wrong but I didn't find anything.

With a frown, I texted her, "Are you okay, Lucy? You've been acting weird."

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be? Silly Natsu!" she replied. As if that wasn't obvious.

"C'mon, Luce! What's going on?"

"Noooothing, Natsu."

Losing my patience, I tapped the details button in the top right corner and then clicked the FaceTime button. I'd never FaceTimed Lucy before. I figured she would be too embarrassed to or whatever. The screen informed me that it was connecting, meaning that Lucy actually answered my call.

And sure enough, Lucy's face popped up on the screen. Her golden hair was left down and she was sitting at her desk. She was dressed in what I think were pajamas, a silk tank top, I couldn't see the bottom half. As expected, her cheeks matched my hair in embarrassment, causing me to laugh.

"Yo, Luce!" I shouted.

"What are you doing, Natsu?" she asked. "It's already past ten! W-Why are you FaceTiming me?"

"Because you were acting weird and you weren't telling me when we were texting and I figured I had a better chance with this! So hurry up and tell me why you're being all weird!"

Lucy's cheeks changed from a light pink to a deep red, matching Erza's hair. Whatever this was about was embarrassing. Or something that she didn't want to talk about with me. Maybe both. I tried to think about anything that could explain her weird behavior and only came up with what happened after our date. When I tried to kiss her.

And now my cheeks were pink. Great. We never did talk about that. At the time, I swore I saw her lean in too, but because we didn't talk about it, I figured I imagined it. I thought that she didn't see it, which relieved me since we were interrupted. Now I was starting to think that she knew.

And if Lucy knew and was embarrassed about it, didn't that mean she didn't want to kiss me?

If Lucy was trying to act like it didn't happen, that meant that she didn't want it to happen in the first place. I frowned, forgetting that I was FaceTiming her.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

I gave a grin and lied, "Yep! I just remembered that we have school tomorrow! We should go to bed!"

"What? You never go to bed early for school! You always want to stay up and talk!"

"I guess I'm just tired. Sorry, Lucy! I'm going to go to bed!" I was about to tap the red button to end the call when she spoke.

"Wait!" she ordered. Her cheeks were red and she squirmed in her seat. "I-I'll go to bed too then."

I arched a brow and asked, "Okay? That's good, I guess."

"D-Do you want to leave the phone on overnight?"

"On FaceTime?"

"Y-Yeah. It'll make me feel less lonely."

I gulped and nodded my head, quickly turning off the light so that she couldn't see my cheeks. All I could think about was that this was sorta like a sleepover, right? I was practically sleeping with Lucy!

Lucy turned off her lights and from the sound of things, climbed into her own bed too. We just laid there, listening to each other breathe. It actually calmed me down. Within minutes, I heard Lucy's breathing become louder, knowing she was asleep. I chuckled quietly to make sure she wouldn't wake up.

"You're killing me, Luce," I whispered.

And then I closed my eyes and turned on my side to go to sleep, the entire time wishing that my phone was Lucy herself.

* * *

OVA 3

Levy and the Smutty Story

 _Levy P.O.V. (Two years ago)_

After school, I rushed towards the library. Because I had no friends, there were only four places one could find me: school, home, the bookstore, and the library. Because Fairy Tail Academy required students to volunteer at least five hours every year, I chose to read to students. I loved reading more than anything and spent nearly every second of the day reading. I would read anything so long as someone wrote about it.

" _And that is why I'll probably never get a boyfriend,"_ I thought bitterly.

When I got to the library, I greeted the librarian with a kind smile before going to the children's section where the kids were already waiting with excited grins plastered to their faces. I picked up a book from the children's section and smiled at them. The book had a cover of a princess and a knight, obviously being a fairytale story. Clearing my throat, I began to read.

The story started out as any fairytale story. The princess was locked away from the villain and the knight needed to defeat the villain and save the princess. Though, I was surprised with some of the difficult words in the story. Why would a children's book have such difficult words?

I shrugged and continued to read. About halfway through the book, the knight defeated the villain and was finally meeting the princess.

"They stared deeply into each other's eyes, their love acting as a magnetic pull between them," I read aloud with a smile. I always loved romance stories. Little did I know this book had so much more to it. "The knight took tantalizingly slow steps towards the princess. Her chest hardened in anticipation." I didn't know what the last sentence meant, and judging by the confused looks on the kids' faces, they didn't either. Still, I continued to read.

"The princess hiked up her dress and abandoned it on the floor." I arched a brow.

" _Umm, okay that's weird. But she's got to be wearing clothes underneath."_

Clearing my throat, I continued to read, "The knight took off his helmet and the rest of his armor, letting his hard member free. He grazed the princess' stomach and up to her chest, using his thumb to circle- oh my Mavis!" I immediately shut the book, my face flushed red with heat. It was a smutty story! Who in the world put this in the children's section!?

"What's wrong?" one of the kids questioned. "Keep reading! I wanna know what happens next!"

"Me too!" another added.

"Umm, how about we read another book," I suggested. To which the kids began to cry, their wails filling the library loud enough to cause the librarian to come over and order me to keep reading to quiet them down. With rosy cheeks, I read, "T-The two began to make love- which means that they held hands, kids- and the princess' moans filled the castle. Umm, she was moaning because she was eating a yummy cake! The knight's penetration into her- I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!"

And with that, I ran away from the library, never to return again. There were other libraries in Magnolia, I could just go there. Through my utter humiliation, I learned a valuable lesson, one I would never forget.

Never judge a book by its cover.

 **AN:** So after I edited the chapter, typed the OVA and my replies to reviews out, FF crashed and didn't save it. :') So now I'm very mad I had to rewrite all of that and now I have to go to class so I don't have time to reply to reviews. I'm just going to update now so I don't forget to later. You've waited long enough. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, you're amazing! :')


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** Once again, sorry for the late update. Writing three stories at once has proven to be too much for me. Luckily I just finished Family so that gives me more time to focus on this story. Still, I am not caught up in my writing for this story so I will be changing my update schedule to Thursdays only. That will only be for this story and only until I get to a good enough point that I can go back to upating twice away. Fairy Tail- if you read that- will still be updated Mondays and Thursdays. Hope you guys understand. :') Now enjoy this long, jam packed chapter. :D

Chapter 23

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Monday)_

After waking up, I tiredly rubbed my eyes and stretched my body in hopes of fully waking up. Though I despised my father's money, there were two things I was grateful for: him funding me to attend Fairy Tail Academy and my insanely comfortable bed. Seriously, it was like I was sleeping in a pool of fluffy wool and feathers. I always slept well thanks to my bed, but I noticed that I slept even better last night.

Then I remembered that I fell asleep with Natsu over FaceTime.

Grabbing my phone from my nightstand- after smoothing down my hair in case Natsu was still there- I realized that the call was already ended. He was probably already awake and playing with Happy. My heart stung a little knowing that he didn't wait for me to wake up as well but I brushed it aside. It wasn't a big enough deal to fuss over.

What _was_ a big deal, however, was the fact that I was planning on confessing my feelings to Natsu. I'd never had real feelings for a guy before so I didn't know if he and I ever flirted or anything before, despite my friends constantly telling me that we have. Still, even though most of my being told me that there was no way he reciprocated my feelings, there was a bean of hope sprouting in my belly.

Natsu and I were insanely close, part of which why I grew feelings for him. Who's to say that he didn't as well? I knew that he treated me differently than the others and that he was more attached to me, maybe those were signs that he felt the same.

Still, being the naturally pessimistic person that I am, I refused to believe it completely. Not until I heard it from him. And to hear it from him, I needed to confess. Was I scared? Definitely. Was I going to back down and change my mind? Probably.

" _No! I can't change my mind! I have to do this!"_ I mentally told myself. " _You heard Juvia. Even if he rejects you, it'll still be relieving. At least I won't be carrying secrets."_

So, after I finished getting ready for school, I smiled determinedly at my reflection in the mirror. My golden hair was tied into a side pony and my uniform was void of wrinkles. I had to look perfect that day because no matter how much I didn't want to, I was going to confess.

* * *

"Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed the moment I stepped into the classroom. She and Erza were possibly the only morning people to exist. Well, Juvia could be one too so long as Gray was there.

"Morning, Levy-chan," I replied, scanning the room. Just as I expected, Natsu wasn't there yet.

"Lucy. Are you ready for what we discussed?" Erza asked, staring at me with a threatening gleam in her eyes that told me if I gave an answer she didn't like, there would be hell to pay. The guys arched their brows in confusion.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered with a sigh as I took my seat.

"Juvia is happy for you!" the blunette exclaimed. "Juvia remembers when she first-"

"Shh!" I told her. I didn't want the guys to know that I was confessing to Natsu. That would've been way too embarrassing, especially if I got rejected. "Can't we talk about this later? I'll call you three tonight with the details."

"Oi, why are you guys keepin' secrets?" Gajeel asked, narrowing his eyes at me. "I wanna know what's going on."

"Too bad," Levy replied. "It's girl stuff."

"No fair!" Gray complained. "We don't keep anything from you! Or at least we don't bring it up in front of you!"

"Quit complaining," I told him, sticking my tongue out at him.

Just as Gray was about to whine some more, Natsu entered the classroom, his signature fanged grin plastered to his face. My heart sped up and my cheeks flushed as I thought about my plan. I couldn't even look him in the eye, which was proven when he tried talking to me.

"M-Morning, Natsu!" I stammered.

Natsu narrowed his eyes in suspicion, making me sweat. He brushed it off quickly though and smiled again.

"Yo, Luce!" he replied. "Has anyone ever told you you're a loud snorer?"

"Am not!" I denied, hitting his arm.

"Are too! Happy and I couldn't even sleep last night because of it!"

"You're a jerk!"

Everyone in the group laughed at our bickering and I couldn't help but giggle as well. Much to the class' disappointment, Gildarts Sensei walked in and began class, announcing that we were starting presentations that day.

"Alright, brats," the man began once everyone took their seats, "we're starting presentations today. I don't wanna waste all of our class time doing this so we're only going to have a few present each day for this week. I have everyone's groups on popsicle sticks. If you're drawn on Thursday, congrats, you get a few extra days to prepare yourselves if you need it. If you're drawn today and you aren't ready, well that sucks for you. Everyone ready?"

The class groaned in reply, causing our teacher to chuckle.

"Too bad," he stated. He retrieved an empty mug from his desk and a ziplock bag full of popsicle sticks that already had everyone's names written on them. He dumped the sticks into the mug and swished them around, looking away as he drew one to make it fair. "Natsu and Erza. You're up."

I had to suppress a laugh seeing Natsu drop his head onto his desk with a groan while Erza was beaming. I should've expected her to want to go first. Poor Natsu. Oh well, at least it gave me a reason to look at Natsu. And trust me, I didn't waste a second of it.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After mentally cursing Gildarts Sensei for drawing our stick and ignoring Gray's and Gajeel's snickers, I forced myself to the front of the class. Erza was already standing there with a stupid happy grin on her face. Seriously, who in the hell likes presenting first? She's almost as weird as Lucy. Almost. Nobody could be as weird as Lucy.

Speaking of Lucy, I glanced at her and found that she was already looking at me. She stuck her tongue out at me, probably laughing at my luck in her head. I chuckled too and rolled my eyes so she knew just how I felt.

Just as I expected, Erza did almost all of the work, talking about knights and their armor or whatever. I just stood there next to her, making faces at Lucy, who would fight back a giggle. The two of us read each other's movements and faces perfectly.

Was I upset about what happened last night? Yeah. But hey, at least she looked like she was getting over it. And at least we were still friends. That was all I needed.

Hearing someone clear their throat, I glanced towards Erza to find that she was glaring at me. I was about to glare right back at her before I remembered that I was supposed to be presenting and that she was just trying to get my attention.

"Natsu," the redheaded demon began. I could hear the underlying threat in her voice. "Why don't you and I do the skit we rehearsed?"

"Fine," I sighed.

Erza nodded approvingly before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a sword. A _real_ sword. Who in the hell brings a real sword to school? Erza, that's who. Gildarts paled and tried to get her to put it away but she ignored him.

"O-Oh, dragon!" she stammered. Seriously, it was a short skit and she was saying her lines just fine earlier. _Now_ she had to get stage fright. "C-Come and b-battle me!"

I sighed and recited, "Alright, knight. I, the Fire Dragon King, will battle you."

"E-Excellent!"

In the blink of an eye, Erza swung her sword at me. I gulped as the color in my face drained away. Erza was going to kill me. We pretended to battle for a few minutes while Erza discussed some of the techniques knights used in the medieval times. Eventually, I dropped to the floor and Erza dug her heel into my chest.

"I-I have slayed the dragon!" she said.

Our project was lame and filled with way too much information that nobody cared about, but at least I aced it. And I got to hear Lucy's laugh the entire time.

* * *

After school ended, Lucy was surprised when I started walking with her towards her chauffeur, who I still didn't forgive for sending all of those body guards on me.

"Natsu, I can't hang out today!" Lucy said for like the fifth time.

"I know, me neither," I replied with a smirk. "I have tutoring."

"So go to your tutoring already so I can get to mine!"

"I am going to mine. Yo, Caprisun!" I greeted as I stepped into the limo.

The older man glared at me and corrected, "It's Capricorn."

"Capricorn, Caprisun, same thing!" I replied with a grin.

Lucy apologized and slid into the front seat. Once she put her seatbelt on, Capricorn started driving and immediately I regretted not walking. My cheeks puffed out and I felt like I was going to barf my insides out. And I swear to Mavis Capricorn slowed down on purpose to make it take longer. Asshole.

When we got to Lucy's house, she stepped out of the car and sighed.

"You're pathetic," she teased.

"Shut up," I replied, happy to be on solid ground again.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"

"Like I said! I'm getting tutored!"

And _finally_ Lucy began to understand. For a smart girl, you would think she would've figured it out already. Then again, she is being tutored now so maybe she isn't as smart as I thought.

"Wait, you're being tutored _here?"_ Lucy asked, her voice all high pitched and squeaky.

I cackled and answered, "Yep! Your dad is making me. I'm glad I didn't tell you because the look on your face was priceless!"

Lucy pouted before grabbing my wrist and leading me inside her gigantic house. Virgo appeared out of nowhere and told us that Jude was at a business meeting and then left to go clean. Lucy led the way into the living room where some old guy with a bushy white mustache was waiting. And when I say old, I mean _old._

"Hello, Crux," Lucy greeted, bowing at the geezer.

"Hello, Lucy. And hello to Lucy's friend, Natsu, I presume," the man, Crux, replied.

I waved and said, "Yo!"

And with that, complete hell took over. Crux started going over everything we learned in class, teaching us everything that we missed on our tests- which was a lot in my case. Seriously, the dude crammed so much information into my head I thought it was going to explode.

Lucy seemed to be taking it a lot better than I was. Her face would brighten up whenever she understood something and it made me smile briefly before my torture resumed. Crux taught us a whole bunch of math equations, scientific formulas, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't even know how to classify. It freaking _sucked!_

Three hours later- yes, tutoring somehow took three freaking hours- Crux finally decided we were done for the day. Which was good because my brain was fried. When the geezer left, Lucy's phone lit up with a text.

"Erza wants all of us to go to dinner with her and Jellal," Lucy stated, reading the text.

I immediately felt better at the thought of food and asked, "Where at?"

"I don't know. She just told me that it was a place we've never been to before. She said to just meet them at Freezies."

With that, Lucy went to ask Virgo if we could go, and after the maid said yes, Lucy and I were on our way to who knows where to eat. I didn't even care where we went as long as there was food. Crux was cruel, not letting us eat while we learned!

When we got to Freezies, we found that we were the last ones to get there. Lucy went to stand by Levy and the other girls and I stood by Gray and the guys.

"Where are we going?" I asked with a grin. "I'm _starving!"_

"There is a place called the Strauss Diner. I've never been there before and I heard that it is good. I figured we could all try it together," Erza answered.

And with that, my hunger disappeared. The Strauss Diner was where Lisanna worked. Lisanna Strauss, along with her siblings. All of which I'm sure hated my guts. Not that I could blame them.

"C-Can we eat somewhere else?" I asked, my stomach churning like I was in a car. I saw Lucy glance at me curiously but I ignored it.

"Nope," Gray answered. "It's time to deal with it like you said you would."

"Let's go, Salamander," Gajeel added.

I was about to run away when Lucy walked up next to me, her eyes worried and confused.

"Are you okay? Do you not like that place?" she asked.

"I guess you could say that," I answered with a frown. But the guys were right. I needed to face what happened with Lisanna and make amends. With every step we took towards the diner, my stomach dropped. When we opened the door, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Welcome!" a familiar voice greeted us and I wanted to run more than ever. Peeking over Lucy's shoulder, I saw Mirajane Strauss, Lisanna's older sister and possibly the scariest woman alive, waving towards us. "Why don't you guys sit down at this table here?"

Everyone walked towards the table and began taking their seats. I sat between Lucy and Gajeel. I hoped Mira wouldn't see me, but of course the universe hates me, so that didn't happen. I saw her eyes light up with recognition before she smiled at me and began taking our orders. I ducked into my scarf, wanting to fall into a deep hole and never come out.

Once Mira walked away with our orders, Lucy leaned over and asked, "Do you know her, Natsu? It looked like you guys knew each other."

"Oh yeah, they know each other," Gajeel answered with his stupid laugh.

Lucy frowned and looked back to me for answers but I looked away. And then _she_ came. With our drinks perfectly balanced on trays, Lisanna came to our table with a bright smile on her face. She looked the same from when she did when we talked last. Short silver hair and bright blue eyes.

"Here are your drinks!" Lisanna chirped, putting the drinks on the table and letting everyone get their own. "Is there anything else you- Natsu?"

I thought I was going to throw up then and there. Instead, I forced myself to face Lisanna and grinned weakly.

"Y-Yo," I stuttered.

Lisanna stared at me with wide eyes before turning around and heading towards the kitchen. Laying my head on the table, I gave a heavy sigh.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked. "Who was that?"

"Lisanna," Gajeel answered again for me. I wanted to kick his ass but I was too exhausted.

"Lisanna?"

"She was our friend when we were kids," Gray explained. "Well, mainly Natsu's friend."

"What happened?"

"When we were in fifth grade, she told Natsu she loved him," Gajeel answered. I sunk into my seat as he explained, "Natsu didn't say anything and avoided her like she was the plague. Whenever she tried talking to him, he would just run away like an idiot. After that, Lisanna became home-schooled."

I heard Lucy gasp and saw her glance at me in the corner of her eye. It was then that I knew if I ever had a chance with Lucy before, which wasn't confirmed, I definitely blew it with this. And it looked like my winning streak was over.

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

After finding out about Natsu's relationship with Lisanna, I glanced towards Lucy to find her reaction, Levy and Juvia doing the same. Her brown eyes were wide with shock and her mouth was parted as she continued to stare at Natsu. Her eyes were filled with sadness, but I couldn't blame her. It was absolutely terrible timing for her. The day she was finally going to confess her feelings, she had to find out that Natsu was an idiot when it came to such matters.

Honestly, who could do such a thing? Then again, my rejecting of Simon caused him to overdose on drugs, so perhaps ignoring it was better. No, the truth is better than nothing.

"I have to use the bathroom," Lucy announced with a feigned smile as she searched the diner for a restroom. Natsu finally glanced at her, worry glinting in his eyes. I could understand that as well.

"I'll go with you," I replied, standing up with her.

"You don't have to do that!" Lucy assured.

"It is a rule that girls accompany their female friends while they use the restroom. Isn't that right, girls?"

"Yes!" Juvia answered while Levy simply nodded.

Lucy sighed and reluctantly led the way towards the bathroom. Once the door closed behind us, Levy drew the blonde in for a tight hug.

"It's okay, Lu-chan!" she stated. "There's no way that Natsu would do that to you because he actually likes you too!"

"He's not going to do that to me because I'm not going to give him the chance," Lucy replied with a drawn out sigh. "I'm not confessing. Not anymore."

"Lu-chan-"

"Nope. Not happening. You guys can say what you want but I'm not doing it anymore so can we just drop it?"

The other girls and I glanced at each other worriedly before reluctantly nodding our heads. We couldn't force Lucy to do something she didn't want to do, especially when her reasoning made sense. Thus, we went back to the boys and began to eat our food in silence.

After dinner, Lucy immediately called for Capricorn to pick her up and Natsu waved goodbye before quickly heading towards his apartment. Gray and Juvia decided they were going to go to Freezies for desert and Gajeel decided he was going to walk Levy home, leaving Jellal and I.

Being alone with Jellal still made my heartbeat quicken and my cheeks flush with heat, but I knew I was getting better. I no longer stammered every sentence and I was able to have real conversations with him.

"So what happened with Lucy?" Jellal asked with a kind smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked in return.

"She was going to confess, right? Before finding out about Natsu and Lisanna, of course."

"How did you know?"

"When we were in class and you asked her if she was ready for something she needed to do and she got embarrassed. Juvia tried telling a story but Lucy interrupted her while blushing. Which led me to believe it was about Natsu. After that I just put the pieces together. So again, how was Lucy?"

My eyes widened before they relaxed as I chuckled. Jellal was always very intelligent. Sometimes I believed that he could be smarter than even Levy.

Deeming that there was no use hiding it, I answered, "She's upset, which is understandable. She isn't planning on confessing anymore."

"That's a shame," Jellal replied with a frown. "Since Natsu feels the same way, I mean. Surely if she confessed then they would be happy."

"You're right. But confessing isn't easy."

"It was when I confessed to you. Do you remember that?"

A faint pink spread over my cheeks as I nodded my head. "Yes. We snuck out to the park and you told me you loved me."

"The same park we had our first kiss," Jellal added with a smile.

"You were much more confident back then."

Jellal chuckled and replied, "I suppose I was."

With that, we fell into a comfortable silence. My mind drifted towards Lucy's situation once again. It was bothering me more than it should have, and I knew why. It was because Lucy couldn't have love because she wasn't aware Natsu felt the same. I knew Jellal loved me and yet I wasn't doing anything.

Sure we had a date planned for the weekend, but it wasn't the same. We had loved each other since we were children. Surely we should've been more by then. I had long forgiven Jellal and my feelings for him only grew with each day. There should've been nothing holding me back.

But alas, fear wretched its way into my heart. Fear that one day Jellal would change for the worse again. That our happiness would vanish again if I gave my heart to him. But when I saw how upset Lucy was, I knew that I didn't want to feel like that either.

As the old saying goes, it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

Stopping in my tracks, I grabbed Jellal's hand to stop him as well, my skin jolting from the touch. Not wanting to run away anymore, I stared into his eyes with determination while he stared back at me, obviously confused.

With a deep breath, I bluntly stated, "I love you."

Jellal's eyes widened and his cheeks began to match my hair. His hand went limp in mine from shock, it made me nervous. Finally, the boy came to terms with my confession and smiled.

"I love you too," he replied, his voice low and barely over a whisper.

I swallowed thickly and replied, "I don't want to keep my feelings bottled up like Lucy anymore. I want to act on them like we used to. _Together."_

"What are you saying?"

"Jellal, will you be my boyfriend?"

The boy's brows shot up before he frowned. "I was supposed to ask you."

"It doesn't matter who asks who," I replied with a shy smile. "So long as we're together."

"You're right."

Jellal took a step closer to me, followed by another. He leaned forward, his eyes drooping closed as his breath fanned over my face. My body tingled with anticipation of what was to come. Unable to wait any longer, I met him halfway, planting my lips over his and wrapping my arms around him.

His lips were warm as they washed over mine like waves. Our noses bumped together awkwardly as we haven't kissed in a while and haven't found our rhythm yet. He sucked gently on my lower lip as I did with his top lip. Our breathing grew heavier and we panted when we pulled away, our eyes half-lidded.

"Yes I'll be your boyfriend. That was just as good as I remembered," Jellal teased.

"Same goes for you," I replied, intertwining my fingers with his. We resumed our walk back to my house, which didn't take long. When we were on my front steps, I gave him a quick peck before waving and going inside.

I leaned on the door after closing it and sighed in content. No matter what my future with Jellal may bring, I was glad that I took the risk today. Footsteps sounded in front of me and I glanced up to find my sister, Wendy, smiling at me.

Wendy wasn't related to me by blood, of course, but was adopted just as I was by a wonderful woman, Grandeeney. Wendy was only fourteen years old but was adopted when she was a baby. I was first taken in as a foster child before being officially adopted.

Wendy was a kind girl with long locks of blue hair she often opted for tying in pigtails. She was one of the kindest girls I had ever met and immediately treated me like her sister the moment I arrived at their house.

"How was hanging out with your friends?" the girl asked with a kind smile.

"It was great," I answered, my fingertips landing on my lips. "Really great."

Wendy arched a brow and the movement but shrugged it off, bidding me goodnight before going back to her room. I chuckled softly to myself before heading to my own room. I had a lot to update the girls on. I, Erza Scarlet, was officially in a relationship.

 **AN:** I know most people make Wendy Natsu's sister but I personally like her relationship with Erza more. :') And it looks like while Nalu is going down, Jerza finally became canon! :D All that's left is Gruvia and Nalu. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Looks like Lucy isn't confessing at all anymore. :') And gotta love Jude's progress! :D Thanks for the review. :)

 **CRaZieSt aNgEl eVeR:** Hahaha thank you that OVA was my favorite so far! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Lol yes, Nalu is always complicated in my stories. And I'm glad you thought the OVA was as funny as I did! :D

 **AfroGaming:** HAHA THANK YOU! i don't think any of the later OVAs will be able to top that one lmao.

 **Soul Eater Maka:** LMAO THANKS SO MUCH!

 **Nalulove:** Haha you were right, something bad did happen! :') Poor Lucy. :')

 **Guest:** Haha at least they aren't like Nalu right now! :D Gruvia is making great progress. Though there wasn't much of it in this chapter, they went out for desert together after dinner. :')

 **Grimnack:** Lol thank you so much! At least Lucy was planning on taking action with her feelings before the Lisanna stuff happened. :')

 **Lunahartz:** Thanks sis. :') Amazing as always! :D

 **LunaLunaFreya:** I don't know what that review is about but my inbox is always open. :')

 **IndianaCombs:** Hahaha thank you so much. She also ruined her own pure innocent mind lol!

 **Guest:** Thank you haha! I always tend to make them adoptive siblings because that's how I think of them in Fairy Tail lol.

 **Alexa60765:** Lucy wasn't being too much of a dense idiot! :D She was actually going to confess! But then stuff happened. :') And I feel like either Gruvia or Jerza would go on the most romantic dates. Actually, I think it would be Jerza, but Gruvia would be a close second haha! :D

 **Guest:** I'm pretty sure you're the same guest from the other chapter but I'm going to make a new reply just in case. :) Haha lets just always refer to Gray as popsicle stick from now on!

 **Avhaskake:** LMAO THANK YOU SO MUCH HAHAHA. Levy has such bad luck! And omfg I could never write a smutty fic I have absolutely no knowlege about that stuff lmao. If anything I would die from laughter writing it and then never update it haha!


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Hello everyone! :D Hope you're all still interested in this story even though I'm only updating once a week now! Things are going to be really picking up soon!

Chapter 24

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Tuesday)_

The next morning, my eyes fluttered open and I gave a breathy sigh though nobody else would hear it. I went to bed quickly last night so that I wouldn't have to talk to Natsu and the others. Though I wasn't really mad at Natsu or anything like that, I was still disappointed with what happened. I felt bad for this Lisanna girl and I was upset that my plan was ruined. Especially when I finally got the courage to deal with my feelings.

Levy and the other girls kept trying to cheer me up and offered to have another Skype sleepover, which we usually do when one of us has good or bad news. I declined, however, not wanting to talk about this whole ordeal anymore. They didn't understand. All of the boys they liked, liked them back. And they weren't known for their horrible ways of rejected someone. So, I was on my own. I would be okay. I just needed some time.

Grabbing my phone from my nightstand, I saw only one text from Natsu. It was a good thing he wasn't really in the talkative mood either. After that thing with Lisanna, he rushed straight home and didn't text me. Opening the text, I found that it was a rather bland goodnight text. Yep. He was definitely not in the mood either.

When I got to school, I dragged my feet with slow steps until I reached the outside of the classroom. I heard most of my friends' voices, save for Natsu's. Which was expected. I sighed and leaned on the lockers outside of the classroom. I didn't want to go in yet.

Honestly, I felt embarrassed. Even though the boys didn't know about my plan, the girls sure did. And they knew just what happened at the diner. They knew how it all went to flames. It's embarrassing being the only one to not get the guy you like. So, I stalled outside of the classroom, inspecting my golden hair for any split ends simply because I was bored but refused to go inside.

After about five minutes of just standing there with depressing thoughts swirling in my mind, I heard footsteps approaching. Glancing towards the sound, I found a boy from my class last year, Max Alors. Max was a slim boy with beige hair in a bowl-cut style. He was kind and smart, but I didn't know him too well since we didn't really talk. He wasn't in my class this year.

"Hi, Lucy," Max greeted with a kind smile. "What are you doing out here?"

I gave a small wave and replied, "Hi, Max! It's been a while. I'm just, uhh, resting out here until I wanna go inside."

"That's cool," he replied, leaning on the lockers beside me. "So, umm, have you heard about Cana's party this weekend?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! I'm actually going!"

"You are? That's cool. I'm going too."

I stood there with a smile on my face- though I was still upset- and nodded. I didn't quite understand what was going on or what I was supposed to say to that.

Max rubbed the back of his head and questioned, "Do you maybe want to go to the party… together?"

And with that I knew what was happening. My eyes widened and I subconsciously took a step away from Max. I opened my mouth to kindly reject him when someone's arm drooped over my shoulders. Turning my head, I found a head of pink and I sharply inhaled while my cheeks started flushing. Natsu always tended to invade my personal space.

Not that I usually minded.

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu greeted with his fanged grin. It seemed he was doing better. That, or he was pretending. "And… Max?"

"Hi, Natsu," the other boy greeted, glancing between the two of us. He faced me again and continued, "Sorry, Lucy. I didn't realize that you two-"

"We aren't," I hastily interrupted, removing Natsu's arm from my shoulders. I frowned and continued, "But I can't go to the party with you. I promised my friends I would go with them and I'm sorry, Max, but I only see you as a friend."

Luckily, he was a kind boy, so he only smiled and waved me off. "Don't worry about it. Hope I see you there!"

"You too! Bye!"

When Max was out of earshot, Natsu turned to me and asked with hard eyes, "So he _was_ asking you out?" From his tone I could tell he already knew before he came up to us.

"Yep," I answered, averting my gaze. I wasn't ready for this. Not yet. "Why did you interrupt?"

"I don't know. Just thought that maybe you could use some help?"

"Some help with what? Turning someone down? No offense, Natsu, but if I did need help with that, I don't think you would be the right person to turn to." Natsu winced and I immediately felt bad. Alright, maybe I was a little bitter. "I'm sorry, Natsu. I didn't mean that."

"It's okay," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

We sat there in tense silence until I questioned, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nah. Thanks anyways. Why don't we go inside now?"

He didn't give me any time to answer as he led the way into the classroom. Oh yeah, it was definitely going to be awkward from now on. And I didn't even confess.

Were we ever going to be okay after this?

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

I paused my conversation to watch as both Natsu and Lucy entered the classroom, both wearing solemn frowns. Clearly they were not in better moods. I wanted to run over and hug the life out of Lucy; I'm sure all of the girls did. We knew she was hurting but there was honestly nothing we could do to help her. Unless…

My eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.

"Lu-chan!" I greeted, waving the blonde over.

Lucy took her seat before facing me and arching a brow. "Yeah, Levy-chan?" she questioned.

"We should all have another sleepover this weekend! And then we can go to Cana's party together!"

"Another sleepover?" the blonde repeated. She then frowned, probably knowing that I was trying to cheer her up. "I don't know, Levy-chan. I'm not really in the mood-"

"I think that is a great idea," Erza interrupted. "There is so much to discuss. Why don't we have it in Lucy's house again? I would offer my own, but I don't think there is enough room in mine."

"Juvia also thinks it's a great idea!" the blunette added.

Lucy sighed before reluctantly nodding her head and replying, "Alright. I'll ask my dad if you guys can spend the night on Friday. I guess it'll give Juvia a chance to meet him."

I smiled remembering the dinner Erza and I had at Lucy's house on Sunday. Lucy's maid, Virgo, made a bunch of exquisite food that I had never tasted before and it let us meet Jude under better circumstances. He was much nicer that night than Lucy's birthday.

"It's settled then!" I exclaimed. Lucy was super excited last time we had one, maybe another sleepover could cheer her up. It was the only idea I had and I wasn't going to just let my best friend wallow in sadness.

"Then the guys and I can just pick you all up from Lucy's before we go to Cana's," Gray stated. He glanced at Natsu and questioned, "Sound good?" Looks like he was trying to cheer his friend up too.

Natsu wordlessly nodded in reply just as Sensei entered the room. The boys went to their seats and everyone quieted down, waiting for the teacher to grab the popsicle sticks. Soon enough, students started getting called on for their projects.

I listened and watched each presentation intently. Though none of the other students particularly cared about what others were presenting, I found them interesting. Or at least the well-done presentations were interesting. It was all new knowledge for me to acquire.

"Alright, for our last presentation of the day," Gildarts began as he swirled the remaining sticks in the cup and picking one up, "Levy and Jellal. You two are up."

I nodded, not minding presenting in front of the class, though most people hated it. Did you know that most people fear presenting over death itself? Anyways, I met Jellal at the front of the classroom and smiled at him, which he returned.

"We did our project on Astronomy," I announced while Jellal situated our poster on the white board.

The presentation went by in a breeze as I went over every single fact and theory that we squeezed onto our poster. I could tell that most of my classmates- Natsu and Gray included- were bored and not even paying attention. Erza and Juvia smiled at me but it was clearly more for assurance rather than their interest in Astronomy. Lucy, however, smiled as her eyes brightened as I went on about the stars and constellations.

Lucy actually helped Jellal and I quite a bit with our presentation. Turns out she and her mother had a great bond over stars and that she used to study them every night. If I ever had a question, I would ask her and most of the time she had the answer. I grinned, happy that I managed to cheer Lucy up for at least this short amount of time.

My eyes glazed over the classroom until they landed on Gajeel. He was leaning forward in his seat with his head resting in his hands, his eyes watching my every movement. I flushed under his gaze, believing that he was actually checking me out- such a weird thing to think, but hey, he was my boyfriend after all. But as I continued to go on and on about the galaxy, his eyes would light up. He was actually listening!

" _Nobody ever really listens to my ramblings,"_ I thought, a smile stretching over my face. Gajeel, who was obviously never interested in Astronomy, listened to every word I uttered, simply because I was saying it. Without even trying, he was getting me to fall for him even harder.

* * *

After school, Gajeel and I walked back to his place, his big hand intertwined with my smaller hand. The walk itself was rather quiet as we were in a comfortable silence.

When we entered his apartment, we walked to the couch and Gajeel placed our backpacks on the floor- he carried mine for me, deeming it too heavy for someone my size. I plopped onto the couch with a heavy sigh. Though Jellal and I aced our project, the school day remained awkward.

Lucy and Natsu didn't say much of anything and it was really throwing off the group's vibe.

"Salamander and Bunny Girl need to get it together," Gajeel gruffly stated as he opened a bag of chips. "They're being all depressing. I understand why Natsu's upset, but what's up with Bunny Girl?"

"I'm not telling you," I replied.

"Oi! I'm your boyfriend! Aren't you and I supposed to tell each other everything?"

"Yes, but not if it's one of my best friend's secrets! Sorry, Gajeel! But I'm not saying!"

"Tsch. Fine."

We sat there in a comfortable silence, me leaning into Gajeel's side. I pulled out my phone and was going to scroll through Facebook when I realized that Gajeel and I didn't have any pictures together. Knowing him, however, he probably wasn't one for pictures.

With a smirk, I opened my camera app and discreetly pointed my phone in my boyfriend's direction. Knowing that I only had a few seconds before I noticed, I promptly clicked the button to snap a picture. Gajeel glanced over immediately and scowled seeing that I had taken a picture of him.

"Delete it," he demanded.

"Nope!" I replied, looking at the picture. It was a bit blurry as Gajeel was in the process of grabbing his phone. "I like it!"

"Well I don't. Delete it, Shrimp."

"Or what?"

Gajeel grinded his teeth before ruffling my hair, causing it to become a blue mess. Before I could straighten it down, he grabbed his phone and snickered while taking a bunch of pictures- and I knew it was more than one because he left his sound on.

"Stop it, Gajeel!" I whined, reaching over to grab his phone.

"Nope!" he replied.

After pouting, I decided to use the element of surprise to my advantage. I planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, which got him to stop moving. Snatching his phone away, I scowled seeing all of the embarrassing pictures of myself. I kept scrolling through the photos, most of them being his metal designs.

Gajeel then snatched my phone, stating, "If you're gonna go through my pictures, I'm gonna go through yours."

"Fine with me," I huffed. "All you're going to see are selfies with me and the rest of the girls."

"You're right," the boy replied with a scoff. "You guys don't even change up your poses. Why in the world do you need hundreds of the same pictures?"

"Well they aren't exactly the same! We take a bunch and then choose one to upload!"

"How pointless. Oi, Shrimp, who's this dude?"

I arched a brow and immediately glanced over, not remembering a boy being in my camera roll. Before Gajeel, there weren't really any boys in my life since Jet and Droy were put in another class. Looking at the small screen, I immediately recognized the picture as the one I took of Lucy and Loke hugging from our sleepover.

"I forgot about that picture!" I exclaimed. "That is Loke, Lu-chan's childhood friend. Apparently they were really close. We kept teasing her because we thought they liked each other. I should totally send this to her!"

I returned my attention back to Gajeel's pictures, laughing aloud when I came across one of him and his grandmother, both wearing heavy scowls. I kept scrolling through the pictures until I saw a man with long, dark hair similar to Gajeel's. He also had a plethora of piercings, even more so than Gajeel.

"Hey, who's this?" I asked, handing my boyfriend the phone.

Gajeel looked over and immediately sighed. "Metalicana."

"Y-You mean your dad?"

"Yep."

Gajeel didn't talk much about his dad but I knew the basics. Apparently he was abandoned. Gajeel always tried acting tough, like he didn't care what happened but it was obviously just an act. I could tell that he was pained by it all.

It was then that I realized I didn't know much about Gajeel's life. For starters, I didn't even know how he came to live with his grandmother.

"Hey, Gajeel," I began, intending to find answers, "how did you move in here with your grandmother after what happened with Metalicana?"

Gajeel inhaled sharply as his eyes widened. Shaking his head, the boy replied, "Nothing important, really. Just took me in."

I could tell he was lying but I didn't question him any further. Still, my curiosity was piqued. Just what exactly happened to him?

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After feeding Happy, I headed out of my apartment and onto the streets of Magnolia. After what happened yesterday, there was one thing I had left that I needed to do. I needed to actually talk to Lisanna and apologize. I didn't do it yesterday because I choked, not to mention I couldn't do it in front of everyone. Especially Lucy.

I knew that Lucy was upset with me about the whole situation but I didn't get why. Maybe she just really felt bad for Lisanna and couldn't imagine having such a terrible guy as her friend. Her comment from before with Max stung like hell but I couldn't blame her for it. Not when it was true.

I sighed as I passed Freezies, seeing Gray from the door. Part of me wanted to just go there and bug him instead, but I kept going. I'd pushed this aside for years. It needed to be done. Lisanna deserved an apology.

Taking a deep breath, I entered the diner, my stomach churning uncomfortably with each step. I immediately found Lisanna gathering dirty dishes from one of the tables. I took one step in her direction when Mira stood in front of me and blocked my path, her cheery smile plastered to her face. Surprisingly, I couldn't sense any veiled threats or anything.

"Hello again, Natsu!" Mira chirped. She was a lot different than when we were kids. Before she was practically a demon. Now she seemed more like a demon in disguise.

"H-Hey, Mira," I replied, my gaze dropping to the floor.

"Here alone today?"

"Uhh, yeah. I-I wanted to talk to Lisanna."

Mira's smile faltered for a second before calling out, "Lisanna! It's time for your break! And look who's here to keep you company!"

Lisanna glanced over and her eyes immediately grew as she gasped. I winced under her gaze. Then, to my surprise, she actually _smiled_ at me. Maybe she was trying to lure me there before murdering me. That made sense.

With a loud gulp, I walked towards Lisanna who led the way into the break room. Once the door closed, she turned and faced me with a smile before tackling me in a hug. I definitely was not expecting that.

"Natsu!" she shouted. "It's been so long! How've you been?"

"G-Good," I stuttered. I expected her to slap me, not hit me.

"That's great! About yesterday, I'm sorry I ran out on you so fast. I wasn't expecting to see you, to be honest."

"Don't go apologizing to me!" I said, gently pushing her away. "I'm the one that needs to apologize! I completely ignored you after… After you…"

"After I confessed," Lisanna finished for me, her smile never disappearing. "I know, Natsu. And I was upset after that."

"Because of me, you became homeschooled. I'm sorry, Lisanna."

"I wasn't homeschooled because of you, Natsu! I was going to become homeschooled anyways! I was going to tell you after I confessed, but you know what happened next. Anyways, it's all water under the bridge now, I promise."

I blinked once, then twice. "Wait a second. You were going to be homeschooled anyways?"

"Yep!" Lisanna answered with a giggle. "I just wanted to confess before it happened!"

"A-And you don't hate me?"

"I promise I don't hate you, Natsu. I'm telling you, I moved on _years_ ago! I have a boyfriend and everything! His name is Bixlow and we've been dating for two years. Was your way of rejection terrible? Definitely. But I'm over it now. But you should definitely rethink your way of rejecting girls in the future!"

"I know, I know," I replied. I gave a huge sigh before smiling at Lisanna. She used to be one of my closest friends and to think I messed it up over something so stupid was irritating.

"What about you, hmm?" Lisanna asked, nudging me. "Did you finally find a girl that you could say yes to?"

With a frown I answered, "I guess."

"What's her name?"

"Lucy. She's my best friend. But it doesn't matter because she doesn't feel the same. And I think I did something to upset her but I don't know what."

"Hmm… I don't know this Lucy person, but if she's your best friend, then she would enjoy spending time with you, whether or not she likes you back. If you upset her and don't know how to fix it, maybe you should take her out somewhere!"

"You think that would work?"

"Definitely! And it might even get you some good points romantically!"

"You think so?"

"I think it's worth a try," Lisanna asked with her usual kind smile.

"Thanks, Lisanna," I replied.

We talked during the rest of her break until Mira called her back to the diner. I waved to the Strauss siblings and left with a huge grin plastered to my face. After years, I finally made amends with Lisanna and we even agreed to hang out some time. She wanted me to meet Bixlow and I wanted her to meet Lucy. Things were finally like they used to be when we were friends.

Now all that was left was fixing my issues with Lucy. I didn't know what upset her or where I was going to take her yet, but I wasn't going to give up. Because the truth is, I never felt so attached to someone before. Not Lisanna, not the guys, or anyone else. Just Lucy.

I wasn't going to let her go.

 **AN:** So Natsu and Lisanna finally made amends! His relationship with her isn't really the important part of the situation in this story, it's how it affects his relationship with Lucy. That's why I didn't spend a lot of time on their conversation haha!

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Thank you lmao. Caprisun will definitely be an ongoing thing in this story haha! And yep, Nalu is sinking and getting even worse. :') But it looks like Natsu plans on fixing it! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha their project will be the only important one lol. And at least I have one of the ships sailing while Nalu sinks. :')

 **IndianaCombs:** At least their past it cleaned up now. :') And we'll see about a confession soon! ;D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** HER SUFFERING WILL END EVENTUALLY. HOPEFULLY.

 **LunaLunafreya:** Hahaha nooo it was just that one time because FF was being stupid! :D

 **Nalulove:** Ahhh thank you so much I'm glad it doesn't upset you. :')

 **Avhaskake:** HAHAHA WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR DINGUSES. All will be well eventually. :')

 **Alexa60765:** HAHAHA THEY GOT SO CLOSE BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED. Poor Lucy :')

 **Lunahartz:** Lol which word was poisonous, Nali or drama? And we'll see about the Nalu. ;D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH! It means a lot that you checked this story out too and actually like it. :')


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** Hello guys! :) Alright, I'm going to give an estimate about how much longer this story is. It's a rough estimate so it might be off by a few but I would say that we have _maybe_ thirteen chapters left. Maybe more, maybe less, who knows haha. So we still have time! :)

Chapter 25

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Wednesday)_

After waking up, I checked my phone for any messages from Lucy. After I got back from the Strauss Diner, I tried texting her but she wouldn't reply. And I knew she was reading them because she had her read receipt on.

I still didn't know what I did to make her mad at me, but whatever it was must've been bad. And there've been times where I really annoyed her but not once had she gotten so mad where she ignored me. Still, after making things right with Lisanna, I felt like I could do anything. And the first thing I was going to do was get Lucy to forgive me.

Lucy was my best friend. No, she was more than that. I wasn't going to let anything change that, whether she liked it or not. She was stuck with me.

"Oi, Happy! You already finished your food!" I said as I passed the kitchen and noticed the empty bowl. I just filled his bowl with pieces of fish. He practically inhaled it all like a vacuum! Awesome.

Happy crawled towards me and I petted behind his ears. I chuckled as he leaned into me and purred.

"Alright, I gotta go, Happy! I'll see you later!"

When I got to school, I rushed through the hallways towards the classroom. Lucy always beat me to class so I knew she would be there already, along with everyone else. Sure enough, when I was outside of the classroom, I saw Lucy sitting in her seat while everyone else was talking. Sheesh, was everyone a couple now?

Levy and Lug Nuts were already a couple and Erza and Jellal seemed to be one too, but they haven't said anything. Even Juvia and the stripper acted like they were dating, I wouldn't be surprised if they were. All that were left was me and Lucy. I wondered if she noticed that too.

"Yo, Luce!" I shouted as I walked up to her.

She lifted her head from the desk and glanced at me before laying it right back down. Seriously, what a downer. Oh well, she was still my best friend.

"Hi, Natsu," Lucy replied. She sounded like a zombie.

I frowned. Lucy sure wasn't making this easy.

"Oi, Lucy! Let's go out somewhere tonight!" I offered.

Finally she lifted her head to look at me, one of her brows raised. "You seem to be in a really good mood this morning. Did something happen?"

I grinned and answered, "Yep!" By then the whole group was listening as I continued, "Lisanna and I made up!"

"Seriously?" Gajeel asked, taking a break from talking to his girlfriend.

"Yep! I went over to the Strauss' place last night and talked to Lisanna! I apologized and everything and she forgave me! Even offered to hang out sometime!"

"I figured she would've at least hit you or something," Gray added.

"A-Are you two dating now or something?" Lucy asked.

I glanced over to her and found she was staring at her desk, biting her bottom lip. I noticed she did that whenever she was upset or nervous or something. Which meant I only made things worse somehow. Shit. How did I keep messing up?

Unless…

Unless Lucy was actually jealous. Why else would she ask and look all upset? Unless I was missing something, there was no other explanation. Lucy was jealous. But why would she be jealous of me and Lisanna?

Unless…

Did Lucy actually like me?

It wasn't the first time I wondered that, but after every time I did, she would do something that made me think otherwise. Like being weird after I almost kissed her. But there were too many times now to act like it wasn't a possibility.

" _Okay, Natsu, think! There was that time in the hallway when she looked at my lips. I thought she was going to kiss me. Then the same thing happened after the movie! I thought I saw her lean in too! And now she's jealous! She has to like me!"_

I grinned, forgetting that I was actually talking to people. There was no doubt in my mind now. Lucy felt the same! Glancing at Lucy, I saw her frown deepen as she turned away.

"I'll take that smile of yours as a yes," she said.

And with that, I knew I was majorly screwed.

And apparently the whole group did too as they winced. I looked at them for advice but none of them were really helpful. Gray kept moving his arm in a spazzy way, I didn't know what the hell that was supposed to mean. Gajeel and Jellal only sighed. Erza looked like she was going to throttle me and Levy and Juvia just looked at me with huge eyes.

What helpful friends.

I looked back to Lucy and started, "Oi, Lucy-"

"Okay, class! Time for presentations! We gotta hurry up since our fieldtrip is on Friday!" Gildarts interrupted. I never wanted to kill a teacher so badly before. Even the ones that tried to take my scarf away.

I glanced back at Lucy but she kept staring at the wall. I would have to talk to her at lunch.

* * *

 _Gray P.O.V._

I shook my head noticing the way Natsu slouched in his seat like a sack of potatoes. Seriously, he looked like a wounded puppy. Glancing towards the opposite corner, I saw that Lucy looked the same. The two needed to figure things out fast because I was getting a headache just looking at them. Even Juvia and I weren't that complicated.

Speaking of Juvia, I glanced towards her and the corners of my lips tugged upwards into a smile. We'd been hanging out every day after school going on dates, it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Some dates we went out places and split the bill, others didn't require money. Sometimes we would just come over to my house and chill.

There was never an awkward moment, which surprised me. Juvia used to be a shy girl, I figured it would take some time for her to come out of her shell. But I guess when it was just the two of us, she was able to be herself. And the same went for me. Juvia made me the happiest I had ever been.

And that was why I was planning on making things official soon. I didn't know when or how, but I was going to ask. And I had full confidence she would say yes.

I never asked anyone out before. I got red just thinking about it. I knew Juvia said yes, but I wanted it to be perfect. It was my first time and she deserved it to be perfect, especially with how long she waited for me.

" _Am I supposed to bring anything?"_ I wondered, my head resting on the palm of my hand. " _Like flowers? Or chocolate? Or would that be too much?"_

I was a wreck just thinking about all of the possibilities. Seriously, I was so nervous I was sweating. And I usually never sweat.

" _Maybe I should just keep it normal. Juvia isn't the type of girl to want a bunch of stuff. She just likes me. But then again-"_

"Gray and Lucy, you're up!" Gildarts announced, interrupting my thoughts.

I glanced towards Lucy and watched her bring the stuff towards the front of the classroom without even sparing me a glance. She really was upset. I would definitely have to talk to her later since she helped me out a lot with Juvia.

I walked up to the front of the classroom, my hands shoved in my pockets. Lucy leaned the poster board against the white board and turned to face the class. There were bags under her eyes, which were puffy and dull. Her lips were set in a grim line and she looked so void of life. Damn Natsu.

"We did our project on love," Lucy stated, keeping her promise of being the one to talk. She then explained all of the facts that we gathered while I pointed to them on the poster. They probably weren't even looking at the poster but hey, I would get participation points from it.

Lucy then began to explain the huge debate that human beings have about love: whether it comes from the heart or is simply a bunch of chemicals produced.

And that was when things got ugly.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

My project with Gray was going smoothly. I could tell my voice was lifeless but I didn't care at the moment. All I wanted to do was get it over with so I can sit down again and mope. I think I deserved a day of moping, one that wasn't interrupted.

Explaining the facts was easy, especially since nobody raised their hands to ask questions. I could tell everyone's eyes were on me, judging me. I knew I looked like a mess, my hair frizzy and untamed. And I was very aware of how puffy my eyes were. But again, I didn't care.

When I started talking about the grand debate of love, my eyes darted towards Natsu, whose gaze was glued to me the entire time, watching me intently. As I was talking, my mind thought about everything with Natsu.

And that was when my entire belief changed.

I stared at Natsu while I explained, "In my opinion, love is nothing more than a bunch of chemicals being produced in your body. It isn't anything too special, really. There is no such thing as a soulmate or one true love. Those chemicals can be reproduced with anyone. So if you ever find yourself heartbroken, just know that it doesn't mean anything and that you'll move on and reproduce the same chemicals over someone else."

It made perfect sense. There were people that moved on from their first loves and were perfectly fine. That means that love was never anything special to begin with since you can eventually move on. All it is, is just a bunch of chemicals.

And thinking like that gave me hope.

I watched as Natsu frowned and stared at his desk while he slouched on his seat. He looked truly hurt but I didn't know why. It wasn't like he was the one that got his heart broken since he was with Lisanna now. Did it really matter what I said about love?

I could feel Gray's eyes on me, probably wondering what happened. Well, I just came to see the truth. Thinking that love comes from the heart is just naïve thinking. There are no facts to support it and quite frankly, it's just a bunch of bullshit.

Sensei cleared his throat before stating, "Good job, you two. You can go back to your seats now."

I nodded and went back to my seat, leaving Gray to tend to the poster board. I ignored everyone's curious or worried gazes and just laid my head on my desk. I felt empty. I just wanted to go home and take a long nap to recharge.

* * *

After school, Natsu and I climbed into the limo in silence, ignoring Capricorn's greeting. The rest of the day went by in a slow blur. Our friends made sure not to bring up any touchy subjects and Natsu and I hadn't said a word to each other since the morning.

Honestly I was resenting my father just a bit for making Natsu come to our house to tutor with me. It only made things so much more awkward and I just wanted to be alone.

At least Natsu kept silent, other than when he asked Crux a question. He stayed completely focused on his schoolwork. I tried to do the same as well but I just wasn't in the mood. I wasn't in the mood for any of this.

After an hour of nonstop learning, Crux decided to give us a break while he went to the kitchen to make himself a snack. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Natsu shuffled awkwardly, keeping his gaze anywhere other than on me.

Eventually, he cracked.

"Did I do something to upset you, Lucy?" Natsu asked, his voice quieter than normal.

"No," I answered. It wasn't a complete lie. None of this was Natsu's fault. It wasn't his fault that my confession was ruined and it wasn't his fault that he had feelings for Lisanna. I knew this and yet I couldn't get myself to stop being so pissy around him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive."

"Lucy, you can talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm fine, Natsu. I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

Natsu nodded and crossed his legs beneath him. "To answer your question from earlier, Lisanna and I aren't together."

For the first time since my project, I glanced at Natsu, my eyes wide. "You aren't?"

"Nah," he answered.

"But you like her?"

"Nope. I never felt that way for Lisanna and I never will. We're just friends. Besides, she has a boyfriend and everything."

"B-But when I asked you if you were dating her you just smiled!"

"I wasn't thinking about that," Natsu stated with a shrug. "I was thinking about someone else."

"Someone else?" I repeated. "So you do like someone."

"Maybe. Things aren't going so well with her at the moment though."

"What did you do?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes at me and asked, "Why do you assume I did something bad?"

I couldn't help but giggle softly. "You aren't exactly the romantic type."

"That's true," he replied, grinning at me. Things were starting to feel more normal again. "I guess that could be why things aren't going well. I'm just not experienced with this stuff and I just keep messing it up somehow."

I frowned, envious towards the girl that held Natsu's affection. I even detested her for making Natsu feel like this. He was supposed to be the weird, loud, reckless boy that I grew to love. Not some sad boy because of a girl.

Shaking my head, I patted my cheeks. Now wasn't the time to be upset because of my feelings. Natsu was hurting and as his best friend, I had to be there for him and listen, despite how much it hurt hearing about his feelings for another girl.

"I'm sure she feels the same," I assured with a weak smile.

"You think so?" Natsu asked.

"Well I can't be sure unless I know who it is."

"Too bad because I ain't telling you. Not yet, at least."

"But you will?"

"Someday," Natsu answered, smiling at me. His smile warmed my heart. No matter how bad of a day I was having, he could always make it better. Just being around him made everything better. "You really think she feels the same?"

"Of course!" I answered, nudging him.

"Why?"

I averted my gaze and played with the ends of my hair. That was a loaded question, one that I wasn't sure I could answer without giving away how I felt. But it didn't matter. If Natsu needed help, I would be there for him in any way.

"Because you're a sweet guy no matter how annoying you can be," I answered with a fond smile and rosy cheeks. "You're a great listener and you're funny. You can make a terrible day one of joy without even trying. Or maybe you do try, which is just as good because it means you care enough to try. You surprisingly pull off pink, messy hair and despite how reckless and irritating you can be, you're my favorite person in the world and I wouldn't ever choose anyone over you."

My eyes widened and I averted my gaze in embarrassment. What was supposed to be just a bit of reassurance definitely sounded like a confession, one that I wasn't planning on giving. I just got so sidetracked.

Shyly glancing towards Natsu, I saw that his cheeks were a bright pink and that his mouth was partly open. He quickly recovered though and grinned at me, giving me a playful nudge.

"You're so weird, Lucy!" he exclaimed.

"I-I guess I am," I replied with a small smile.

Crux then returned and immediately started cramming more knowledge into us. But instead of the tense atmosphere from before, it was replaced with a light, carefree mood. One that was usually there whenever I was with Natsu. No matter what happened between us from that point forward, we were always going to be best friends and we would recover from anything.

 **AN:** So there was a bit of drama this chapter but it looks like they made up in the end. :) And it looks like Gray plans on asking Juvia out soon! :'D Hope you guys all enjoyed the chapter! Please review! :)

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Well the ship is still a bit bumpy but they're getting better. :') Thanks for the review! :D

 **IndianaCombs:** Yeah, it definitely wasn't easy as Natsu thought haha. But they are getting better! Lucy is coming to terms with what she believes are Natsu's feelings haha!

 **Woundedninja:** Ahhh thank you so much! :'D I update this story on Thursdays so you don't have to keep checking your email haha! :)

 **Lunahartz:** Nali huh? Haha it actually isn't my least favorite ship of FT! My least favorite is Wendy/Mest. :')

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Ahh Loke. I've been thinking long and hard about how I want to bring him back to the story. I am truly struggling with it haha. :') And thank you so much I'm glad you liked it. :')

 **Nalulove:** It will happen eventually. They just need time. :')

 **Guest:** Well, you got to see just a tiny bit of how Gruvia is doing this chapter. Sorry it wasn't more. :') Chapter 28 has a BUNCH of Gruvia though so bear with the wait. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh yeah! The stuff with Gajeel is all of the gangs and the drugs but Levy, Erza, and Lucy don't know about that yet! :) And we'll see about SS Nalu. Hopefully soon. :')

 **Soul Eater Maka:** GRUVIA ISN'T EVEN CANON YET EITHER HAHA.

 **Guest:** I WILL I PROMISE. Updates on this story are definitely slower than my others, sorry. :') I just caught up faster than I expected and I spend a lot more time writing for Fairy Tail instead of this one. :')

 **Avhaskake:** Ahh thank you so much! But idk if you were looking forward to drama haha! :'D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much! :D It'll take a while for their confession but it'll happen eventually. :')


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Ahh a little late in the day but I still updated so yay! :D Hope you guys like this chapter! Lots of Jerza! :D

* * *

Chapter 26

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Thursday)_

As I woke up the next morning, I smiled grabbing my phone and checking my messages. There were a bunch from Levy, wondering if I was okay. I never replied last night because I truthfully didn't want to talk about my embarrassing and minor freak out the prior day. I did talk to Gray, though. I mainly spent the night texting Natsu.

Natsu and I were on much better terms now. I just needed a couple of days to mope, but now I was starting to feel normal again. Even if Natsu didn't feel the same and liked another girl, he was still my best friend and that was enough for me. I wasn't going to do anything to lose that.

Quickly getting dressed and ready for school, I rushed downstairs to where I knew breakfast was waiting for me. Sure enough, a bowl of apples and cinnamon oatmeal was placed at the table, sprinkled with brown sugar. Though most people my age hated oatmeal for some reason, I thought it was delicious so long as it had good flavors.

As I began to munch on my breakfast, I heard footsteps clicking on the tile floor towards me. Turning my head, I found that it was my father, who hadn't left for work yet. I could never figure out his schedule. It was never the same, probably because he determined what days he worked himself and where he worked from.

"Morning, Papa," I greeted before resuming eating.

"Good morning, Lucy," he replied, sitting across from me. He waved Virgo over, who placed a plate of salad in front of him. He had a strange love for salad. "How are you today?"

I shrugged and answered, "The day just started so I'm alright."

"That's good. And how is school?"

"It's great. My grades are definitely going back to how they used to be thanks to Crux."

"That wouldn't happen to be a lie, would it?"

I sighed and shook my head. "No, Papa. I'm done lying to you, remember?"

The man chuckled and nodded, glancing at his tablet to read the morning news. "That's good because I've been looking into the term grounding and I know exactly what to do next time you do lie to me."

"That's good to hear."

I went back to eating my oatmeal, satisfied with my talk with my dad. It was beginning to feel like things were never strained between us. There were plenty of awkward silences at times, but overall things were nice. He was my father again and I couldn't be happier.

"So how are you and Natsu?" Papa suddenly asked.

Which prompted me to choke on my oatmeal and become a sputtering mess.

"W-What are you talking about?" I asked, my cheeks rosy from embarrassment.

Jude arched a brow and answered, "I was just wondering if you made any progress with the boy. Though I don't fully condone you dating at this age, I suppose I approve of him."

"Y-You do?"

"So long as he picks up his grades and treats you well, then yes. So how are you doing with that?"

"I'm not trying or anything," I answered, picking at my food.

"Did you two make up at least?" my father asked. Before I could question him, he continued, "It was obvious that you two were fighting yesterday. Crux told me that you two got better towards the end."

"We did," I replied. "It wasn't a big fight or anything, we were just annoyed with each other." Okay, so I was lying to my dad again. But this one was necessary! I wasn't about to tell my dad all about my unrequited love.

"That's good to hear. Do know that if necessary I have hitmen-"

"I don't need your hitmen, Papa."

"Are you sure? They are very-"

"Please don't tell me they are experienced. That would just make things worse."

My father chuckled and returned his gaze to his tablet. "I was just kidding."

I smiled and replied, "Your sense of humor is interesting."

We fell into a comfortable silence, him reading the news while I chatted with Virgo. As weird as the maid was, I considered her to be like a close aunt. I could never consider her like a mother, nor could I with any other woman, but she certainly acted like one at times. If she ever had kids, she would be a great mom.

After I finished my oatmeal, I put the bowl in the sink, thanking Virgo as she began to wash it. I was about to leave to school with Capricorn until I remembered something.

"Say, Papa, there's something I wanted to ask you," I stated, smiling at him when he looked up at me.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's a party tomorrow and I was wondering if I can go." I puffed out my bottom lip and clasped my hands together as I begged.

"Will there be alcohol and drugs there?" the man questioned, narrowing his eyes. "And don't you dare lie to me."

"P-Probably," I answered reluctantly. He probably already knew the answer to that and lying wasn't going to solve anything.

"Will you be drinking?"

"Of course not, I promise!"

Jude frowned and stated, "I don't feel comfortable with you going to such a party, but… I'm sure Layla would tell me to trust you and let you go."

"So is that a yes?" I asked with an eager grin.

"Fine. But there will be no drinking or hooking up, got it?"

"Of course, Papa!"

"And you will be home at a reasonable time!"

"Of course! Oh, can my friends spend the night?"

"The same girls from before?"

"Yep!"

"I suppose. One last thing. If you need me to pick you up or anything of the sort, call me."

"I will. Thank you, Papa!"

"Yes, yes. Now hurry off to school before you're late," he instructed, turning back to the news.

I smiled and kissed him on the cheek before rushing after Capricorn. I had never been to a high school party before. I saw them in movies or read of them in books but I never experienced one for myself. And it was going to be at Cana Alberona's house. There were definitely going to be a lot of drinks. After all, the girl was known for always having a drink no matter where she was.

When I got to school, I thanked Capricorn before hurrying to the classroom. All of my friends besides Natsu were already there. Everyone looked up at me, worry present in their eyes. Then I remembered my minor depression from yesterday.

"Lu-chan!" Levy greeted. She pushed Gajeel out of the seat next to her and prompted me to sit down.

I giggled and replied, "It's okay, Levy-chan. I'm fine now. Yesterday may have been a not so good day, but I'm much better now."

"Are you sure?" she asked, still not entirely convinced.

"Positive."

I took my seat and joined in my friends' conversation. We were all talking about the party, excited to go together. I reminisced about the time when we were separated. There used to be a boy group and a girl group but now we were all together and it just felt weird not to be. If there was an event, we would all go together. If one person was missing, it threw the whole thing off. And I was happy that our groups merged because it only made things more fun. Not to mention the fact that it brought me closer to Natsu.

Speaking of Natsu, he barged through the door, his typical fanged grin plastered to his face. His eyes immediately landed on me as he rushed to sit by me.

"Yo, Luce!" he greeted.

I giggled and replied, "Morning, Natsu."

"Looks like you two are in a better mood," Erza stated with a smile and an approving nod.

"Yep!" Natsu replied, laying his arm over my shoulders.

With that, things were finally back to normal.

* * *

 _Jellal P.O.V._

Glad to see that Natsu and Lucy were on great terms again, I turned and smiled at Erza, who returned it with a smile of her own. It was strange and unsettling for the two to be upset with each other. With things back to normal, I could focus on everything else.

Cana's party was tomorrow and Erza and I were going together. Of course, we were going with the rest of the group as well, so it wasn't quite the date I imagined. Plus we were going to a party full of drugs and alcohol. Still, it was nice to consider it a date, even if we were already together.

When Sensei walked into class, he promptly began pressentations. It was the last of the presentations for the week and then we would be heading out on our fieldtrip tomorrow. Since the girls beat us, we were planned to go to Crocus Gardens, which Sensei approved of, telling us it would be less boring than the museum. Natsu and the other boys weren't convinced but took the loss silently.

Gajeel and Juvia's presentation went by in a breeze. Juvia did most of the talking, as most of the class suspected. Surprisingly, however, Gajeel brought up a few of the points himself and even answered questions that students had for him- though it wasn't without giving them an annoyed glare first. Levy was definitely making him a better student and even a better man.

It looked like all of the girls were capable of that.

Levy helped Gajeel improve on his studies and brought him to realize the importance of grades. Even his attitude improved tremendously. Juvia brought Gray out of his thick shell and he was learning how to build better relationships with others. Lucy and Natsu may not have been making romantic improvements, but the blonde surely knew how to keep the boy in check. She made him realize what love is and I am not blind to the fact that Natsu seemed more content, even with his father's disappearance.

And I could go on for hours about how Erza made me a better man. Erza was the light that freed me from my dark past of crime and violence. Though she treated me with the cruelty I deserved at first, she motivated me to change. I had been a depressed boy, unable to speak for long periods of time because guilt had ebbed me every second of the day. Now, I have friends and even my love-life with the redhead was restored.

Peeking a glance at Erza, I found that she was intently watching the presentations with a keen eye. Though she probably wasn't watching them to learn like Levy, she was probably attempting to motivate our classmates. That's who she was. She was always rooting for other people's success. And that was one of the many reasons why I loved her.

When school ended along with our meeting with the student council, I took it upon myself to walk Erza home just as I always did. Our walks were quiet and peaceful and we always took leisurely steps in order to prolong our time together.

Unfortunately, at some point or another, we would always arrive in front of Erza's house and have to separate.

"Thank you for walking me home, Jellal," Erza stated with a fond smile.

I returned the smile and replied, "It is of no problem to me. I enjoy spending this time with you."

We chatted for a few more minutes before Erza deemed it was time to go. I leaned towards the girl, amused with how quick her cheeks turned pink, and gently planted my lips against hers. Erza's lips had always been sweet, made even sweeter by the cake she ate every day. My lips molded with hers to perfection as we created our own rhythm. My hands wound up in her long locks of scarlet, trying to enjoy every second.

And then the front door burst wide open.

"My, my," a calm voice sounded.

Erza and I jumped apart immediately, our faces flushed with immense heat. Standing in the doorway was a woman shorter than us with long locks of dark blue hair fashioned on top of her head in a neat bun. She wore a pastel blue dress, topped with a flower-covered apron. On her hands were two oven mits.

The woman smiled and greeted, "Welcome back, Erza. I see you brought a _friend."_

"G-Grandeeney!" Erza replied, still startled and embarrassed. "T-This is Jellal! M-My umm…"

"It's okay, sweetie. You don't have to be so embarrassed!" The woman, Grandeeney, smiled at me and continued, "It's nice to meet you, Jellal. Would you like to come in and have dinner with us? I'd love to meet the boy that won my daughter's heart!"

I flushed even deeper and questioned, "A-Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."

"Of course! There's plenty of food for you! Come in, come in!"

The woman got behind us and gently shoved us inside the small home. It was my first time in Erza's house, I made sure to take it all in. I knew that she lived with her adoptive mother and sister, who was not home yet as the middle school got out an hour later. The house was a perfect size for the small family. The living room had just a medium-sized TV and a simple blue sofa. The kitchen was small but had plenty of tools and spices. There was a narrow hallway where I could see three doors, one probably being a bathroom.

"This is a nice home you have," I complimented.

"Thank you, dear!" Grandeeney replied. "Come, come! Have a snack! Dinner will be ready in a few hours so make yourselves at home! Erza, show Jellal your room! Leave the door open, of course."

Erza nodded and led the way to the narrow hallway. There was a door to the right, front, and the left. The redhead opened the door on the left and revealed a rather large room. It appeared to be the master room with two beds pushed against the same wall. In the adjacent corners of each bed were desks, both of which neat and stacked with schoolwork.

"T-This is my bedroom," Erza stammered with adorably rosy cheeks. "I share a room with Wendy."

"This is a nice room," I stated. "Grandeeney treats you and Wendy well. I'm glad you were adopted into a nice family."

"How is your foster family?" she asked.

"They are nice to me," I answered. "At first they were wary knowing my past and all. They have a son I believe Wendy's age so they didn't want me to badly influence him. They were a bit distant at first but they are much closer now."

"I apologize if this is too personal of a question but… Do you ever hope for them to adopt you?"

An uneasy, churning feeling spread through my stomach as I thought about it. There was always a part of me that wanted to be adopted. That was what led me down my horrible path in the first place, watching my friends finding loving homes while I stayed in the orphanage. But now that I was older, did I still want that?

"I'm not sure," I answered with a frown. "I wouldn't mind being adopted but… I don't think they are the right fit for me."

"Why not?"

"They are nice people and I am grateful for them taking care of me, but I don't feel like a son to them. And they don't feel like my parents."

"Are you fine with that?"

"I'm not sure. I think that I am."

Erza nodded and dropped the subject, for which I was grateful. Even if I was fine without a family, it still was a touchy subject for me even after all of these years. I didn't want to risk it being a catalyst once again for more terrible decisions. I just wanted to enjoy what I could, and that was being around Erza.

A couple hours passed and it was time for dinner. Erza's little sister, Wendy, came just in time as we helped set the table. Grandeeney placed the warm food on the table and my mouth immediately watered. There was a large helping of rice and a steaming pot of beef and vegetable stew.

As we ate dinner, Grandeeney asked me questions in an attempt to get to know me better and I answered them truthfully. Most of the questions were about school, to which I impressed the woman with my good grades and status of Vice President. Erza made sure to change the subject if it appeared we were breaching towards the family subject again.

When we finished eating, I bid farewell to Grandeeney and Wendy as Erza showed me to the door. After closing it behind her, the redhead gave me her signature kind grin.

"I hope that wasn't too awkward," she stated with a chuckle.

"It wasn't awkward at all," I replied with a smile. "I had a wonderful time."

"Well then maybe we could do this again some time."

"I would love that."

Erza sighed and glanced at the closed door behind her.

"They're listening to us, aren't they?" I asked, amused.

"Yes. They are probably watching through the peephole as well," she answered with a chuckle.

"I should get going then."

Knowing Erza would be embarrassed from a full kiss in front of her family, I leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek instead. With a wave, I started down the path back to my house. It was yet another great day.

I didn't need a family for that so long as I had Erza.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After Lucy and I finished tutoring with Crux, I let out a huge sigh of relief. Tutoring with Lucy wasn't so bad since it let me spend more time with her and I guess it helped with my grades. My grades went from D's to C's in only a matter of days. If I kept it up, I might actually become a good student.

After packing my things, I was about to head home when Lucy offered me to stay for dinner. I frowned in thought. The last dinner I spent here wasn't so great, though it did end with Jude giving me permission to date Lucy. Still, that was after a gruesome interrogation by the man himself. Well, since it was free food and more time with Lucy, I wasn't going to pass it up.

We watched TV, occasionally cracking jokes or starting little conversations until we heard the front door open, signaling that Jude was back. I gulped loudly. The man didn't exactly scare me, but I was uneasy around him.

Jude walked into the living room and immediately sighed seeing me. Jerk.

"Good to see you again, Natsu," he said. Not that I would believe him. "Though I am curious as to why you are still in my home."

"I invited him to stay for dinner," Lucy informed him with her awkward chuckle. "Is that alright?"

"Well, you should've asked beforehand, but I suppose it's okay. So long as he uses manners this time."

"Manners are for geezers," I chimed in with a grin.

Jude narrowed his eyes at me before leaving the room, shaking his head and sighing. I think he was warming up to me.

When dinner was ready, Lucy led the way into the dining room where the large table was already set with dishes and food. Lots of food. Seriously, knowing Lucy there was no way she was able to eat all of this, same with her dad. What did they do with all the leftovers? I kind of wanted to ask if I can take it. Instant ramen every night was bad for soccer.

"Yes, meat!" I shouted, seeing a huge turkey waiting for me to eat it.

"I remembered your preferences," Virgo, the weird maid, replied. "I hope it is to your liking."

"You got any hot sauce?"

"For the turkey?"

"Hell yeah!"

"I will go fetch it."

"You're so weird," Lucy said with a giggle as she sat down. "Who eats turkey with hot sauce?"

"Cool people do," I answered, grinning at her.

"So our fieldtrip is tomorrow!" she gushed. "I'm so excited to go to the Crocus Garden! I've never been there before but I heard it's really nice and that there's this rainbow cherry blossom sakura tree! Doesn't that sound amazing?"

"I guess if you're into that. I'm not too into plants."

"Even the pretty ones?"

"Meh. They all bore me."

"You suck," Lucy pouted with a huff. She was cute.

"Thanks," I replied, tussling her hair. "The party is tomorrow too."

"Oh right! I already asked my dad if I could go and he said yes. Are you excited?"

"I guess. I don't usually go to Cana's parties because they're always the same but I guess it'll be different since you're gonna be there."

I grinned with pride as I saw Lucy's cheeks turn red. I don't know how I never noticed it before.

"Well I'm very excited," she said. "I've never been to a party before."

"I think I'd rather just spend the day kicking everyone's asses at video games, but I guess a party every once in a while could be fun," I replied. "Don't get your hopes up though. It's just a bunch of drunk or stoned kids dancing or making out in some corner."

"Making out in someone else's house? People actually do that?"

"We're high schoolers, Luce. That's what high school is all about."

"Coming from the guy that's never been kissed."

"Oi! Don't go bringing that up out of nowhere!" I let out a huff of air and crossed my arms. "Whatever, I'm sure the party will be fun."

And little did I know at the time that the party wasn't going to be fun, it was going to be absolute torture.

 **AN:** Feel like I haven't given you any cliffhangers recently so there's that. :D And I'm so excited about Cana's party haha! I have huge plans for it! :'D

 **SingingAngel327:** HAHA ALL WILL BE WELL FOR NALU SOON. BUT I CAN'T PROMISE THAT FOR SOME OF THE OTHER COUPLES! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I was honestly worried I was rushing Gruvia but it looks like everyone wants them canon already! :D Thank you for the review. :)

 **MuffinMalonez:** You may or may not find out who confesses first next chapter. ;D

 **PerchanceADream:** Haha at least there was a break of it this chapter! :D But starting next chapter we're right back at it for some characters! :D

 **00nighthowler00:** Haha gotta love nalu! :D Thank you for the review. :)

 **Guest:** Ahh 2 more weeks is a long time but I promise it'll be worth the wait! :D Thank you so much for the sweet review. :')

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Ahh thank you so much haha! :D Who knows, maybe there'll be a real confession next chapter! ;D

 **LunaLunafreya:** Aww I'm curious as to why! But thank you for the reviews up until now!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Lol yes these two need to go to school and get degrees in communication lmao.

 **Nalulove:** Jude really does keep improving. :')

 **Avhaskake:** AHH OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH! I wonder why that chapter was one of your favs! I personally think the next one will be better. :D

 **IndianaCombs:** Haha there might be some slight toying with your minds but not too much! :D For the most part, nalu is on somewhat smooth water but who knows about the rest of the ships! :D

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Ahh thank you so much haha! :D


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:** REALLY LONG CHAPTER FOR EVERYONE WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF! :D First, I wanna apologize because Gajeel's part is very short in this chapter and like 90% of it is Lucy's P.O.V. haha. I thought about splitting it into two chapters but it woudn't work so yeah. :') Have some angst and some fluffiness and some whatever else is in this chapter! :'D

* * *

Chapter 27

 _Gajeel P.O.V. (Friday)_

I chuckled at my phone, reading the new text from Levy. She was rubbing in the fact that she and the other girls beat us and that we were finally going to the stupid garden place like they wanted. I didn't really care where we went anymore and I liked seeing her feisty side. I felt like it was a side she only showed people she was close to and I took pride in the fact that I was one of them.

Things with Levy were going great. I don't know why I thought relationships were a waste of time before. Uncomfortable moments were rare between us, even when we weren't talking. She would read while I would work on my metal designs or music. Unfortunately, the uncomfortable moments between us were the only problems with our relationship.

Ever since Tuesday, Levy had been pestering me nonstop about my past. It started with little things like how I got to live with Belno and then got worse with her asking me every little detail about my old life. It didn't help that she knew I was lying or withholding important information. But what was I supposed to do?

It wasn't like I could just tell Levy about my life of being a gang member. Levy was an innocent girl, one that I didn't want to look terrible in front of. If I told her about my life in the Phantom Lord gang, she would never look at me the same. She would fear me and never talk to me again and I couldn't risk that.

But it was clear she was getting annoyed with me not telling her. The questions were getting worse and I felt like I was getting backed into a corner.

When I got to school, I held back a sigh noticing that it was only Levy in the room. That just made it so much easier for her to interrogate me. She immediately closed her book and grinned at me. Lying to her was killing me.

"Morning, Gajeel!" Levy greeted.

"Morning, Shrimp," I replied, sitting down beside her and ruffling her hair. She gave me one of those funny pouts, causing me to laugh. "Whatcha reading now? You've got a new book every day."

Her eyes lit up as she answered, "It's a thriller novel! Did you want to borrow it after I finish?"

"Hell no. You know I ain't into reading. I'm surprised you ain't reading one of those girly romance books."

"I guess I wasn't feeling like reading one at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Because I have enough romance in my life as it is."

I huffed and turned away as my damn cheeks started to turn pink. Levy was always able to make my body do embarrassing things. Thank Mavis nobody else was there to see it.

"So Gajeel," Levy began, and with that I knew I was screwed. "You never told me about how you met Gray. I'm curious."

"I met him through Natsu," I answered, balling my hands into fists. It wasn't a lie at all but I knew it was going to lead to it soon. "Salamander and I used to play together when we were kids-"

"Since you're cousins."

"Yeah. And eventually Gray came by one day and Natsu went and started a fight with him. Since then those two idiots were practically inseparable. Sometimes Erza would come."

"And what about you?"

"I didn't hang out with them too often."

"Why not?"

"I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I'm trying to get to know you better," Levy answered with a huff. She crossed her arms and continued, "We've been dating for a long enough time for me to at least know something about your past!"

"The past is the past," I replied in a harsh tone. "It has nothing to do with us."

Levy wasn't taking that for an answer. She glared at me and asked, "You know everything there is to know about me and I don't hide anything from you so why is it you've been lying to me? You think I can't tell? I'm not stupid, Gajeel."

"I never said you were. But it ain't any of your business."

"None of my business? Fine! If it's none of my business then my life will be none of yours!"

"Fine."

Levy grew red in the face and it wasn't because I was making her blush. It was because she was angry and honestly I was angry too. My past was none of her business and it wasn't something I wanted to talk about. Why couldn't she just understand that?

Levy picked up her book again and began to read it, the scowl on her face never yielding. I was definitely in the danger zone with her now.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I leaned against the lockers outside of the classroom, making sure to be absolutely silent. Levy and Gajeel were having an argument about his past and I definitely did not want to intrude. Levy rarely got angry, but when she did it meant you had to stay away or else your head could be blown off.

"Eavesdropping again?" a familiar voice suddenly questioned in a whisper.

I suppressed a squeal as I turned a harsh glare towards Natsu, who was grinning at me with his arms crossed behind his head. He leaned against the lockers beside me and listened with a frown. He was always able to sneak up on me.

"Levy should stop asking Gajeel all that stuff," the boy stated.

I arched a brow and asked, "Why? Wait, do you know something?"

"I know everything and that's why Levy should stop," Natsu answered.

"Whatever it is can't be that bad. He's in a relationship with Levy now, he should at least give her something. She's not one to judge."

"That's easy for someone to say when they don't know."

"Well then tell me so I can make my own ruling," I said, planting my hands on my hips. "If it's something Levy-chan shouldn't know, I'll try to get her to stop asking."

Natsu glanced around before facing me again. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise-"

"I mean it, Lucy. Not a soul."

I arched a brow and studied Natsu. Whatever Gajeel's past was like, it was serious. So, I nodded.

"Alright. I promise I won't tell," I stated.

Natsu nodded and replied, "Good. Pinky promise it."

"Really? What are we, five?"

"Just do it!"

With a sigh, I wrapped my pinky around Natsu's, unsurprised by the abnormal heat it delivered. And with that, the pinkette quietly went on a spiel, giving me every detail of Gajeel's past. Turns out I'd been hanging out with a gang member that was going to kill the boy I loved at one point.

And now I knew why Gajeel was adamant on not telling Levy. I wasn't as close to him as she was and I was already a bit fearful of him to be perfectly honest. And now that I knew about his past, the fear in me grew. I knew he wasn't like that anymore but it was still scary to know. And there was no way he would want his girlfriend to think of him the way I did.

"A-Alright, I agree," I stated, still shocked. "I'll talk to Levy tonight and try to convince her to stop asking."

"Are you scared of him now?" Natsu asked with a frown. "Because he's not like that anymore. He's-"

"I know. He's changed. But that doesn't change the fact that it's still a little scary. But I'll get used to knowing it. Besides, Jellal was a drug dealer, gang member isn't too far off."

"So Erza told you about Jellal?"

"Yep. What about you and Gray? Got any dark pasts I should know about?"

"Nah. We're clean!"

"Really?"

"Is it hard to believe?"

"I guess it is now that I learned about Gajeel," I told him honestly. I put a finger up to pause Natsu before he could say anything and leaned closer to the door of the classroom. It was silent, meaning that Levy's argument with Gajeel was over and it was safe to enter.

Sparing Natsu another glance, I let him lead the way inside, immediately noticing the scowl plastered to Levy's face. She was clearly upset about this whole thing and I wanted to help her but I couldn't do that with other people around.

" _Oh right, she's spending the night tonight with the other girls. I'll ask her then."_

Soon enough, our friends began to file in the classroom and everyone noticed the tension between Levy and Gajeel but smartly chose not to say anything. My threatening glance might've influenced their decision.

"Alright, brats! You ready to go to the garden?" Sensei asked as he strolled into class, his signature canned coffee in his hand.

The girls and I shared excited glances. We've been waiting for this day for weeks and it was finally here! We had to train hard and beat the boys but we did it and we were going to the Crocus Garden!

Our class followed Sensei towards a bus that was waiting for us. Natsu stepped onto the bus first and grabbed my hand, sending a tingling sensation through my body with the simple touch. My cheeks flared and I could feel my breaths quickening.

"Let's sit in the back, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed with an excited grin.

"Alright, but I'm sitting by Levy-chan, not you," I replied, giggling at his pouty face.

Levy sat at the very back left seat, immediately staring out the small window. I sat myself next to her while Natsu begrudgingly pushed Gajeel inside so he could sit on the outside by me. The aisle separated us but it wasn't too big. We would still be able to talk without having to raise our voices. Erza and Jellal sat in front of Natsu and Gajeel while Gray and Juvia sat in front of us.

"I'm so excited!" I gushed, clasping my hands together. "I've always wanted to go here!"

"And you get to do it with us," Gray replied, reaching over to seat to tussle my hair.

"Juvia is excited too," the blunette chirped. "It's going to be so romantic!"

My cheeks slightly warmed as I nodded. A garden full of beautiful flowers and other plants, of course it would be romantic. I'm sure Juvia would snatch Gray away and Erza and Jellal always managed to disappear at times. I'm not sure if Levy would want to be alone with Gajeel anymore but there was no telling what Natsu would do. He always liked to spend time alone with me, he would probably drag me away at some point.

Then we would have a romantic time together.

I shook my head quickly and lightly slapped my cheeks. There was no way I was going to fantasize about a romantic date with Natsu! This day was for me and I wasn't going to ruin it!

The ride to Crocus was long and grueling. Natsu's excitement immediately vanished once the bus moved as he hunched over and threatened to throw up. His cheeks were puffy and sweat dotted his pale face. To my surprise, Gajeel ended up having motion sickness as well, though he took it much better. He simply sat with his arms crossed and a pained expression on his face.

Three hours passed and we were finally driving into the huge city of Crocus. It was much nicer than Magnolia with beautiful architecture and plants just about everywhere. It really was the flower city.

When we got to the Crocus Garden, Sensei and I sighed as Natsu pushed past everyone to get off of the bus and kiss the solid ground. Sensei talked to the lady at the front desk and retrieved passes for everyone, allowing us to visit anywhere in the garden.

"Alright, don't get lost," Sensei stated as he began to walk away from us. "Bus leaves in three hours, your asses better be on it by then."

"We aren't staying as a group?" Erza questioned.

"Nah. Having you kids around would just ruin the experience. Have fun, write down notes all that good stuff. I have a date!"

And with that, he rushed off with a creepy grin on his face. Even the teachers at our school were strange. Soon enough, the class began to break off in little groups, leaving the eight of us to ourselves.

"Where should we go first, Lucy?" Jellal asked.

"I want to see all of it!" I answered with a grin. "So let's just go in a big circle!"

The others nodded and we began to explore together, Natsu on my right and Levy on my left. The first plants we saw were admittedly boring seeing as they weren't pretty or exactly interesting. But as we ventured deeper into the garden, my heart soared with all of the beautiful plants. There were rows upon rows of different colored flowers. It was like a rainbow ocean as they swayed gently in the breeze.

Just as I predicted, Juvia and Gray were the first to disappear, probably because of the latter. Not too long after, Erza and Jellal were gone as well.

Natsu glanced around before grinning at me.

"Let's ditch them and look around ourselves," he suggested with a mischievous smirk.

I shook my head and replied, "No way. I'm not going to leave Levy-chan with Gajeel when they are fighting. That would make me a terrible friend."

"Oh c'mon, Luce! You wanted to have fun here and their moodiness is just bringing it down! Besides, maybe all they need is to be alone so they can talk some more!"

Before I could argue, Natsu took hold of my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. I shut my mouth immediately and stared at our locked hands. His skin was rough and calloused but also provided a warmth like no other. The small contact made me feel safe.

When we stopped running, we were far from everyone else. After catching my breath, I looked at the plants and immediately jumped away from the glass. Behind the glass was an abnormally large Venus flytrap.

Natsu gazed at it with wide eyes and a gaping mouth before looking at me.

"I wanna touch it," he said.

"No!" I told him, slapping his arm. "That is dangerous! Besides, it's behind the glass."

"But if we just-"

"Nope."

"We can be like ninjas, Luce!"

"Nope."

"Plea-"

"Nope."

"Fine," Natsu muttered, crossing his arms. If he was a dragon, I'm sure a wisp of fire would have escaped his mouth.

"Thank you," I replied with a triumphant smirk. "Now let's go look around some more!"

I glanced down at Natsu's hand and frowned. He had been grabbing my hand a lot that day. Would it have been weird if I did it? Swallowing thickly and mustering whatever courage I had, I reached a shaky hand towards his and slightly grazed his palm with my fingertips. He didn't look at me but I saw his cheeks color before he slid his hand in mine and intertwined our fingers. My heart fluttered at the action and I was glad he wasn't looking at me because my cheeks immediately began to match his hair.

We went on like that for the rest of the time, our hands never letting go even if we had to squeeze by people. The garden was much bigger than I expected with so many amazing sights. We took a bunch of pictures together, laughing and smiling as we looked through them. Most of the pictures were of us trying to put bunny ears behind each other's heads.

Unfortunately, time was running out and we didn't get to see the rainbow sakura tree like I wanted.

"We should start heading back to the bus," I stated with a frown.

"But we didn't see your fancy tree yet," Natsu replied.

"I know, but it's okay. I had a lot of fun and saw other pretty plants too. I can come back here some other time!"

Natsu frowned and glanced around before running off. I watched him run towards a directory before sprinting back towards me and grabbing my hand again, dragging me through a crowd of people.

"Natsu! What are you doing?" I asked. "The bus is the other way!"

"I know!" he replied with a grin. "We aren't going there yet! We're gonna go see that fancy tree of yours!"

"But we don't have that much time left! We have to be at the bus in ten minutes!"

"That's plenty of time!"

"No it isn't, Natsu!"

But alas, he ignored me and continued to lead the way. Eventually, he stopped running out of nowhere and I squealed as I bumped into his back. His hands flew up to steady me but I didn't notice as I was too entranced by something else. In front of us, uncased, was none other than a tall, rainbow sakura tree, standing out from the other trees.

Its petals shined under the light, truly showing all of the colors of the rainbow. A huge grin etched itself on my face as I took slow steps towards the tree. It was gorgeous. And it was thanks to Natsu that I was seeing it.

"Hey, do you think you can take a picture of us real quick?" I heard Natsu ask. Turning around, I saw that he was handing his phone to an older couple, thanking them as he stood by me. "Let's take a real picture this time. No teasing, just smiles."

"Okay," I replied. I faced the camera with a smile plastered to my face. Before the woman took the picture, however, Natsu's arm snaked around my lower back, bringing me closer to his side. I kept my smile up but knew that my cheeks were blushing madly.

When the older couple announced that the picture was taken, Natsu thanked them again and retrieved his phone. He grinned at the picture before showing it to me. My cheeks were noticeably pink just as I thought, but the picture wasn't bad at all. Natsu's grin melted my heart and the cherry blossoms in the background were falling beautifully and created a perfect background.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed, shoving his phone back in his pocket and grabbing my hand. Before I could reply, we were sprinting past people and out of the garden.

Luckily, we made it just in time, though we did receive a light scolding from Sensei for making him wait. We walked to the back of the bus and I noticed that Levy and Gajeel still weren't sitting by each other and instead were gazing out the windows. Thus, I took my seat by Levy and our ride back began.

* * *

Three hours later we were all back in Magnolia. Capricorn picked the girls and I up while the guys opted for walking to Gray's house. It was past five o'clock and Cana's party started at nine, giving us plenty of time. Thus, the girls and I watched a movie, straying away from the romantic genre so that we wouldn't upset Levy and instead watched a gory, horror movie. Levy seemed unfazed by the blood and jump scares, Erza seemed to actually _like_ it, and Juvia and I hugged each other tightly as we watched in fear.

When the movie ended, we decided to get ready for the party. Luckily the girls packed their clothes and accessories. The first thing we did was create a train in order to curl each other's hair. Next, the other girls got dressed. Levy chose an orange, flowing dress with a yellow headband. Erza wore a purple, knee-length dress that clung to her skin and revealed a decent amount of cleavage. Juvia's outfit was a bit stranger with a long blue dress and a shawl, despite the warm temperatures.

I frowned looking inside of my closet. The only dresses I had were ball gowns my dad used to make me wear to boring dinner parties with his clients. There was no way in hell I was going to show up to a high school party in one of them.

I flipped through more clothes until I reached the back, where a black, strapless dress was folded over a hanger. I forgot all about it! Aquarius gave it to me behind my dad's back in case I ever had a date. Of course, she immediately taunted me afterwards, saying that I would never land a date.

I took the dress off of the hanger and threw it on. It hugged my curves and sparkled under the light. Though it didn't have the same plummeting neckline that Erza's dress had, it still managed to reveal a lot of cleavage. Not to mention that it looked like it could fall off at any time. Still, it was all I had.

Soon enough, it was time to leave for the party. Capricorn greeted us from the bottom of the stairs, complimenting how we looked.

"Miss Lucy, your father wanted me to tell you to be careful tonight," he stated as we got into the limo. "No drinking or anything of the sort. And if you need anything, call."

"I know, I know," I replied, waving him off. I understood their concern but there was no need. I had no plans whatsoever of drinking.

When we got to Cana's house, we saw row upon row of cars. There were some people chilling outside, simply chatting. From the car, however, we could hear music blasting inside. I thanked Capricorn before warily following the girls inside where the boys were waiting.

Entering the house, I saw a bunch of people from our school, all of which holding a red plastic cup full of some sort of alcohol. Music filled my ears at a deafening volume. People were dancing, drinking, and making out. It was actually a bit revolting.

"You guys made it!" a sudden voice cheered as an arm slumped over my shoulders. I glanced up to find Cana grinning at me, obviously already tipsy. Cana was a beautiful girl with long brunette hair that rolled down her shoulders in waves. To my surprise, she was in a blue bikini top and khakis.

"Good evening, Cana," Erza greeted with a disapproving glance. "Still see you're drinking."

"Oh lighten up, Erza!" the brunette replied, waving her off. "Have some for yourself! There's plenty!"

"No thanks," I told her. "There will be no drinking from any of us!"

"Really? Lame. Oh well. If you change your minds, you know where to find me. Later!"

Erza sighed and shook her head before venturing deeper into the house, which was admittedly bigger than I expected considering it was paid for with a teacher's salary. Finally, a head of pink stood out from the rest and we found the boys waiting for us by the snack table. Of course they would be there.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted with his signature grin. "So is this everything that you expected?"

I sighed and shook my head. "I thought it would be a bit more… _fun,_ I guess. People really are just drinking and hooking up."

"And smoking in the garage."

"Ahh, how could I forget? So what are we supposed to do?"

"Have fun," Erza answered with a chuckle. "Come, Lucy."

With that, the redhead led me towards what was deemed the dance floor. We laughed and danced with the music, the rest of the group joining along. We didn't need the drugs and alcohol to have fun as long as we had each other.

Eventually, I got tired and we went back towards the snack table to get some water. Gray suddenly grabbed my arm, however, and led me away from the group and outside, where only a few others were. I glanced at him and immediately noticed the blush spread across his cheeks.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

Gray nodded and answered, "I need your help."

"With what?"

"Juvia. I-I'm planning on-"

"Oh my Mavis! You're planning on asking her out!"

"Shh, Lucy!" Gray scolded. Sighing, he nodded and explained, "Yeah, I am planning on it. But I have no idea how I'm supposed to do that. I want it to be perfect, Lucy. Help me out. What should I do?"

I frowned, not exactly too experienced myself. There was also the fact that romance was still a bit of a touchy subject for me. Still, I answered, "Whatever you do, Juvia will love it. I promise. Don't go overthinking it."

"You think so?"

"Definitely. Juvia just wants you. In her mind, she's probably already dating you."

Gray chuckled and replied, "That's true. Thanks, Lucy."

"Don't mention it," I replied with a smile.

With that, we went back inside and towards the snack table. To my surprise, Levy and Gajeel were holding hands and actually speaking, though it was clearly a bit strained. Still, it was progress. Then I noticed that Erza and Jellal were gone, followed by Gray and Juvia, who left right away.

That just left Natsu and I once again.

"Oi, Lucy, they have chips here," Natsu stated. "I know you like chips."

"Who doesn't?" I replied. It was funny, chips actually brought us together.

Natsu and I stayed by the snack table, talking about random things. We weren't doing anything too special but I was having a great time, even with random drunk boys coming and asking me out. I thought Natsu was going to murder this one boy that put his hand on me.

"I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom," I stated.

"Don't clog the toilet," Natsu teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him before venturing through the house, squeezing by drunk teenagers. I didn't know where the bathroom was so I was forced to try every door, most of which leading to rooms where people were drinking or making out. Yeah, high school parties definitely were not my thing.

When I approached a door, I knocked twice, receiving no answer. Thus, I entered the room. And immediately my eyes widened and my jaw dropped on its hinges. Erza and Jellal were standing by the window, locking lips in the dark room.

When they noticed me, they instantly broke apart with flushed cheeks.

"L-Lucy!" Erza stammered. "This isn't- we were just- listen-"

"It's okay, Erza!" I assured her with a giggle. "I won't tell anyone. But wow, how long have you two been keeping this a secret?"

"Since Monday," the redhead answered. "We would've told everyone but you-"

"Erza," Jellal interrupted.

And with that I put the pieces together. Monday was when I was going to confess to Natsu but found out about Lisanna. They kept it a secret because they felt sorry for me. They pitied me.

So Erza and Jellal were dating, Levy and Gajeel were dating, Gray and Juvia were going to start dating soon, and Natsu liked someone else. That just left me, the girl who fell for the guy that liked someone else. No wonder they pitied me.

I gave a weak smile and stated, "It's okay. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Well, Natsu's waiting for me, I better get back. Later!"

I rushed out before they could say anything, forgetting that I had to pee. Pushing past everyone, I tried to leave the house to get some fresh air. I needed some space to collect my thoughts. Instead, I ending up bumping into someone.

Glancing up, I saw that it was Cana, who grinned at me. She smelled like booze.

"Yo, Lucy!" the girl greeted.

"Hi, Cana," I replied, trying to push past so I could go outside.

"Whoa, what's up with you? You seem upset."

"I guess you could say that."

"Did you want me to get Natsu for you?"

At the sound of Natsu's name, I winced. It was all too fresh. My eyes landed on the red cup in Cana's hand. Everyone that was drinking at the party looked happy, like they were having the times of their lives. Maybe that was all I needed.

With swift hands, I grabbed the cup out of Cana's hand and chugged it, the alcohol leaving a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach. It was absolutely disgusting, I nearly threw up right then and there.

"Whoa, Lucy!" Cana exclaimed. "If you wanted some alcohol all you had to do was ask!"

"I do," I replied.

"You sure? I don't know if you should. You shouldn't drink just 'coz you're upset. Maybe you should-"

"I want to drink. Please, Cana."

Cana studied me with concern for a few more moments before shrugging and leading the way towards the keg. Grabbing a plastic cup, she filled it up and handed it to me.

"There are rules for drinking here," she stated. "First, it didn't come from us, got it? Second, never leave your drink unattended. If you do, just grab a new cup. You never know what anyone is planning, alright? Third, have fun!"

I nodded and accepted the cup, immediately downing it. I handed it back to Cana for a refill, already feeling the buzz.

"More," I stated, wiping the excess alcohol off of my chin. I didn't know what I was drinking but I wanted more.

"Alright!" Cana cheered. "Lucy is loosening up!"

And after that third cup, things got bad.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

It had been almost ten minutes since Lucy went to the bathroom, I was starting to think she really was taking a dump. So I stayed by the snacks, stuffing my face with the different kind of chips and soda- which was the only non-alcoholic drink at the party. Seriously, the place was full of booze, it reeked.

I was about to shove more chips in my mouth when I heard a familiar giggle. Turning around, I found Lucy making weird movements that I think were supposed to be dance moves. She was surrounded by other guys and in her hand was none other than a red plastic cup.

I instantly ran towards her, shoving everyone out of my way. When I got to her, I reached for the booze but she pulled it away quickly.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lucy greeted, her words slurred. She giggled when one of the other boys, Warren, drunkenly twirled her under his finger. I nearly ripped his head off. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I was waiting for you," I seethed. "But looks like you were having fun with these guys."

"Oh. Right. Sorry, Natsu! Hey, Natsu… Did you know that your name means summer?"

"Of course I know that, it's my name."

I grabbed Lucy's wrist and led her away from the other guys, sending them a harsh glare as a threat to make sure they didn't try talking to her again. I walked her back to the deserted snack table and narrowed my eyes at her.

"What are you doing drinking, Lucy?" I asked. "What happened to none of us drinking?"

Lucy simply smiled at me and answered, "That was before I found out Erza and Jellal are dating! This calls for celebration!" She then brought the cup to her mouth and downed the rest of it.

"How many of those have you had?"

"I don't know… I lost count. Oh well!"

I sighed in irritation. Lucy was annoying enough sometimes, adding alcohol to the mix just made it a hell of a lot worse. This wasn't how I was planning on spending my Friday night. What was her dad going to think? He was going to kill her! And then me!

"Luuuucy! Come back and join us!" one of the pathetic guys called out.

"Okay!" she dumbly replied.

I held her back though, keeping my hold on her wrist. There was no way I was going to lose her when there were so many guys around. There was no telling what would happen if I did.

"Natsu, let's dance!" Lucy said, leaning her body against mine since she couldn't stand up on her own.

"No. We should get you home," I replied, leading her towards the door.

She stopped and snatched her hand away, glaring at me.

"I'm not going," she said.

"Yes you are, Lucy," I replied, glaring right back at her.

"No!"

And with that, she ran back towards the group of people, stumbling about three times. I suppressed the urge to murder everyone around me as I stalked back towards her and pulled her away again. If we were going to stay, fine. But I wasn't going to let her out of my sight.

"Oi, is Lucy okay?" a familiar- and sober- voice questioned.

Lucy and I turned to find Gray and Juvia staring at her with worry. I gave a huge sigh of relief. They could help me take care of the idiot.

"Lucy got herself drunk," I told them. "And she's very annoying and flirty."

"I'm not flirty!" she pouted. In a matter of seconds, though, it disappeared and instead she looked at Juvia with bright eyes. "Congrats, Juvia! You finally got Gray to-!"

Gray clamped a hand over Lucy's mouth before she could finish her sentence, shrieking and pulling it back when she licked him.

"Damn, she's an annoying drunk!" he complained.

"Tell me about it," I replied. I then turned to find that Lucy was gone. Seriously, the night was going terribly.

"Let's split up and find her," Gray suggested.

We nodded before going our separate ways, trying to find an annoyingly drunk blonde. A familiar giggle caught my attention and I turned to find Lucy with Gajeel and Levy. I gave another sigh of relief before running after her.

"Lu-chan? Are you alright?" Levy asked.

"She's drunk," I bluntly answered. "And annoying."

"Why does everyone keep calling me annoying?" Lucy whined before chugging down another cup. Did she seriously manage to get a refill in the short amount of time I lost her?

"Because you are. Stop running away."

"Okay. Whoa, Levy-chan! You look upset! Whoa, so does Gajeel!"

Levy awkwardly chuckled and replied, "Maybe we should get you home."

Lucy ignored her and asked, "Is it because of Gajeel's past? Oooh, I know something about that! Guess what, Levy-chan! Gajeel was a gang member!"

I cringed watching utter despair flash across Gajeel's face. Lucy and I were going to be in some deep shit with him. Levy's eyes grew crazy wide as she inhaled sharply and whipped her head towards her boyfriend.

"Oops," Lucy said. "I wasn't supposed to say that. Oh well. Natsu, let's go dance!"

And with that, she was off running again. I mumbled an apology to Gajeel and Levy before running after Lucy. My patience was running dangerously thin, so when I grabbed hold of her wrist, I yanked her to stop and glared at her.

"Knock it off, Lucy!" I shouted. "You are making things hard for everyone! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone about Gajeel and you went and just blabbed it to Levy!"

Lucy frowned and snatched her hand away. "If you're so mad at me then leave me alone! I have other friends to keep me company!"

"I'm not going to leave you alone because you're drunk!"

Lucy shrugged and went back to the dance floor and the boys from before welcomed her with cheers. With that, my patience was completely gone. I marched towards them and began throwing punches to everyone that tried touching or even talking to Lucy. They went down in one hit.

I heard someone call out to Lucy and immediately turned around to deck them in the face but they dodged. Nobody was fast enough to dodge but this guy was, and that pissed me off. I didn't recognize the guy, who had his arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulders. His hair was spiky and orange and he wore shades and a tux. He was also giving me a harsh glare.

"Let go of Lucy," I hissed.

The guy shook his head. "I'm not going to let her go off with some dude that goes around punching people. Lucy, who is this guy?"

Lucy smiled brightly at the boy- which sent boiling rage throughout my body- and answered, "He's Natsu! My best friend! His name means summer!"

"Do you trust him?"

"Yeah! But he keeps calling me annoying. Do you think I'm annoying, Loke?"

"Right now, yes."

"Is she okay, Loke?" an unfamiliar voice asked. A girl with poofy pink hair and a short white dress stood behind the frustrating guy.

"Yeah, babe. She's just drunk," Loke answered. He then looked at me and asked, "Can you take care of her?"

"Of course I can, she's my best friend," I answered, annoyed.

Loke nodded and gently pushed Lucy towards me, leaving to hang out with who I assumed was his girlfriend. I glared at Lucy, who gave a huge yawn as she leaned onto my chest. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around her waist to keep her up.

So, the music kept playing and we stood there between unconscious bodies. It sorta looked like we were slow dancing or something. But I wasn't happy. At least she would have a nasty hangover the next day.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy asked in a quiet voice. If I didn't have such good ears, I wouldn't have been able to hear her over the music.

"What?" I asked, still insanely pissed. At least it looked like she was getting tired, which meant she couldn't run all over the place anymore.

"Why did you punch those guys?"

"Because they were annoying."

"How?"

I sighed and answered, "You're too drunk to understand."

"No I'm not," she pouted. "Just tell me."

I inhaled deeply, calming down from Lucy's vanilla scent. "It's because they were throwing themselves at you and you weren't exactly stopping them. They probably would've taken advantage of you."

"So you were jealous?" she asked.

I scoffed and lied, "Of course not."

But it looked like Drunk Lucy saw right through that as she pulled back and smiled at me. Our faces were so close, I could see her lip gloss shimmering under the colorful lights. Part of me wanted to kiss her, but that would make me just as bad as the rest of the guys that tried to make a move on her. She was drunk, I couldn't kiss her.

Lucy leaned her head back on my shoulder and began making swirly patterns over my back with the tip of her finger as she began to hum. I was beginning to feel much better but I knew it wouldn't last long. After all, Gajeel was going to murder us, along with her dad.

"You don't have to be jealous of them," Lucy replied, her voice just a whisper.

I sighed and asked, "Oh yeah? You've been acting pretty into everyone tonight."

"But I'm not." Lucy pulled away and stared into my eyes. Hers were half-lidded and her cheeks were pink, but I was pretty sure that was from the alcohol. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. "I'm not into any of them."

"I know," I replied, my breath thin. Our faces were dangerously close and my resolve was starting to chip away. Even when she was drunk with wild, messy hair, she was still beautiful.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I guess I just got worried."

"Don't be," Lucy whispered, leaning towards me. "Because I love you. I love you, Natsu Dragneel." My breath stopped and my eyes widened. It was true. I was about to reply but she cut me off. "I love you so-"

Lucy stopped and brought a hand to her mouth, pulling away from me. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks began to puff. I knew that look because it was how I looked whenever I was in a car. She was going to hurl.

I sighed, grabbing Lucy's hand and quickly leading her to the bathroom. It wasn't my first time at Cana's house so I knew my way there. She quickly ran to the toilet and lifted the seat, hurling into the bowl. Seeing her hair dangle close to the bowl, I grabbed it and held it up for her.

Leave it to Lucy to ruin what was supposed to be a romantic moment. Hell, even I don't ruin moments that badly. Who tells someone they love them and then throws up right after? Lucy does. She was weird like that and that was why I loved her. Even if she did kinda suck that night.

When Lucy finished throwing up, she sat up and wiped her mouth with some toilet paper. She gave a big yawn and that was when I knew it was finally time for her to leave. Well, it was time for her to leave the moment she started drinking but now I knew I had a chance of actually getting her to go.

"I'm tired," she mumbled with another yawn.

"I can tell," I replied, chuckling. "We should get you home then."

"Okay."

I took Lucy's hand again and weaved through the drunk teenagers in the way until I found Erza, Jellal, Gray, and Juvia standing around with concerned faces. They were probably still worried about Lucy. Which was proven true when they gave a collective sigh of relief after seeing her.

"Lucy! It's true! You got drunk!" Erza said.

"Yep!" the blonde replied with a goofy smile. "And then I barfed!"

"She's still drunk," I told them. "But she agreed to go home. You guys are spending the night at her place, right?"

"Yes," Erza answered. "What will we do about her dad?"

"Her dad shouldn't be there, I don't think. I think Capricorn is supposed to be picking you up and taking you back there. Just make sure Lucy doesn't say anything on the drive back and go straight to her room when you get there."

Erza and Juvia nodded, looping their arms with Lucy's to make sure she didn't get lost. Again.

"What about Levy?" Juvia asked. "We have to wait for her."

"I don't think Levy will be coming," I replied, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. "Lucy kinda fucked up today. I think she needs to-"

"I'm going," a sudden voice interrupted. Levy pushed past the crowd despite her size and marched towards us. Her eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign that she just cried. Gajeel was walking behind her, his eyes glued to the floor and a frown on his face. That definitely wasn't a good sign.

"You sure?" I asked.

Levy nodded. "I have to talk to Lu-chan and I want to make sure she's okay. So let's go, girls. I-I wanna get out of here already."

Erza nodded, obviously noticing Levy's distress. Grabbing Lucy's phone from her purse- which I was surprised she didn't lose- she texted Capricorn and within minutes he was there in his fancy limo to pick them up. Lucy gave me a drunken wave before being led to the car. And with that, I was forced to deal with Gajeel's wrath. And if you knew Gajeel, you knew that he could hold grudges for a lifetime.

 **AN:** Lucy messed up big time this chapter. :') But yay we got a confession even though it was a drunk confession! :D Btw, what side are you on, Team Levy or Team Gajeel haha? :D Hope you guys liked this super long chapter! :D

 **00nighthowler00:** Ahh thank you so much! :'D I'm glad you like the story. :')

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Hahaha complete hell happened at the party. :') Poor Gajeel and Levy though. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Hahaha well now you know! :D I just had to ruin Gajevy. :')

 **Spiritual-Sister:** Umm thank you for the review! :D

 **PerchanceADream:** Well she did wear a sexy dress and get hit on but that wasn't all of the torture haha! :D Lucy kinda f'd things up with everyone lmao. :')

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Omg thank you sooo much! I thought so too about the Jellal thing. :)

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Thank you so much haha! :D I plan on having Jellal and Wendy talk more in the future. :')

 **Chocolatecatsconfusion:** Haha yep! :D I don't really leave cliffhangers on this story and I love them so I had to add one lol. At least this chapter was super long! :D

 **MuffinMalonez:** You got a drunk Lucy, yay! :D I love when the FT girls are drunk lol.

 **Lunahartz:** OMFG I'M SO SORRY I MISSED IT. D: And I hope you had fun at the sleepover! Thanks for the review sis!

 **Guest:** Ahh thank you for all of the reviews! :D I thought they were entertaining haha! I would go back to see what part you were talking about lol.

 **IndianaCombs:** Haha yes, life lessons learned for Natsu. (tbh though turkey is good with hot sauce lmao.)

 **Alexa60765:** HAHA COMPLETE HELL IS WHAT HAPPENED I HOPE YOU LIKED IT LOL.

 **Nalulove:** Thank you so much I hope to improve writing Jellal even more! :D


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:** Hellooo everyone! :D I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It definitely isn't as long as the last lol.

Chapter 28

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Saturday)_

As I woke up the next morning, I groaned due to the incessant pounding of my head. It felt like it was being hit with a bat every ten seconds by a professional baseball player. My stomach began to churn and I knew I was going to throw up. Throwing the covers off of me, I jumped off of my bed and rushed to the bathroom, covering my mouth with my hand to keep it down.

Since I didn't have any time to grab a hair tie, I threw my golden locks behind me and hoped for the best as I threw up what felt like all of my insides into the toilet. Tears welled in my eyes and streamed down my face and I was beginning to feel like I couldn't breathe. Drool dripped out of my mouth as my mouth hung open after I finished puking. My throat was raspy and there was a terrible taste in my mouth.

"Are you alright?" a familiar voice suddenly questioned.

I stifled a squeal as I quickly turned around to find Erza leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. Then I remembered that the girls were supposed to spend the night with me after the party.

The party.

What exactly happened at the party?

Most of the prior night was a blur. I only remembered a short time of the party, most of which being my friends and I standing by the snack table. What else happened? I didn't remember anything else.

I'm guessing I looked confused because Erza sighed and questioned, "You don't remember what happened, do you?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I remember what happened when we were at the snack table together. Oh, and then Gray pulled me outside to talk to me about something that I can't say." My head ached as I thought and I wanted to stop trying but the stern look on Erza's face had me feel I needed to try.

"Keep going," she persisted. Not once since we started talking had she smiled. Something had to have happened.

I nodded and brought a finger to my chin in thought as I tried to recall the party.

"After I talked to Gray, I came back and hung out with Natsu at the snack table," I mused. "You and Jellal were gone. Eventually I had to use the bathroom and- Oh."

"So you remember?" Erza asked.

I nodded and averted my gaze, a frown planted to my face. That's right. On my way to the bathroom I found out about Erza and Jellal. I found out how much they pitied me. How little they must've thought of me. How pathetic was I?

"Yeah, I remember," I answered meekly.

"Remember what?" Erza questioned. With her tone it sounded as if she was scolding me. Why in the world was she scolding me?

"I remember that you and Jellal kept your little secret because you pitied me," I answered sourly. I knew what it meant to go against Erza but I wasn't going to just back down with this. I didn't even do anything wrong! "You didn't have to tell me or anyone about your relationship but your reason for hiding it sucked, Erza. I'm not some little kid, alright? I don't need you pitying me. It makes me feel more pathetic than I already am."

"You aren't pathetic, Lucy," the redhead replied with a sincere frown. "And you're right. I shouldn't have kept it from you because of what happened. That was poor judgement on my part, I should have known that it would've made you feel worse. But it doesn't excuse what you did next."

"What I did next?"

"You don't remember?"

"I don't."

"Try."

My brows furrowed as I crossed my arms and thought about what happened next. What exactly happened next? I remembered leaving the room in a hurry and then bumping into Cana.

Cana.

The school's alcoholic.

Who offered me alcohol at the beginning of the party.

Alcohol that I accepted because of how upset I was.

"I drank," I breathed out with wide eyes. "I got drunk."

"You did," Erza replied. "Drinking at our age is illegal, Lucy. There are many dangers of it, all of which you didn't consider. I understand the past week may have been difficult, but you really worried all of us with your actions."

"I-I'm sorry," I sincerely replied. "I don't know what came over me. I guess I just wanted to feel as happy as everyone around me and it looked like the alcohol was working for them."

"And what about you? Did it work for you?"

"I guess it did at the time. But now… It wasn't worth it. I'm sorry for worrying all of you."

"It's alright. But worrying us isn't all you did, Lucy."

I arched a brow. "What else did I do? Oh Mavis. D-Did I kill someone?"

"No, no," Erza answered, giving me a moment's relief before she continued, "but you may have ruined a relationship."

"What?"

"It's okay, Erza. I'll talk to her," another voice sounded from the behind the redhead. Levy squeezed through and into the bathroom. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, clear signs that she was crying.

Erza's words hit me.

" _You may have ruined a relationship."_

And with that, some more memories of last night that were still lost flashed through my mind. My stomach dropped and my hands flew to my mouth as my eyes widened. I spilled Gajeel's most private secret, one of which that very well could've ruined their relationship.

Erza nodded at Levy before giving me one last glance and heading back into my bedroom. It was a bit strange being in my bathroom, especially since I just threw up, but my mind wasn't focused on that. Instead, I was focused on the fact that I hurt my best friend and my other dear friend.

My eyes stayed glued to the floor as I couldn't bring myself to look at Levy for I was scared that if I did, I would see burning hatred in her eyes. I bit my bottom lip hard, perhaps as self-punishment, and I could taste blood. I hugged myself, not yet ready to deal with the consequences of my drunken night.

"How are you feeling?" Levy questioned.

I slowly lifted my gaze towards the petite girl, immensely relieved that I couldn't sense any malice from her. Either Levy didn't hate me, or she was a good actress. I wasn't sure yet.

"I-I'm okay now," I answered, my voice strained. "I feel better after throwing up."

"Most people do," the blunette replied. Closing the door behind her, Levy glanced back at me and gave me a weak smile. "I know you're wondering how I'm feeling, and I promise I'm not mad at you. Though, I probably can't say the same about Gajeel."

My eyes widened as I questioned, "You aren't? Why not?"

"Because I know you were intoxicated. I'll be honest, I wasn't too fond about hearing it from you and I did want to learn about it from Gajeel, but you didn't mean to."

"But I still shouldn't have said it!"

"We all say things we shouldn't at times even when we're sober. I don't want you beating yourself up for this, alright?"

I nodded reluctantly but the guilt that ebbed me didn't go away. What I did wasn't okay. I promised Natsu I wouldn't tell anyone and I went to the worst possible person to blab it to. I could only imagine what Gajeel must've been feeling.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. Gajeel could wait until some other time, my best friend needed comfort now.

Levy gave a shaky sigh as she answered, "Honestly, I'm not doing too well."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't think I should."

"Why not?"

"Because I really don't like what I'm thinking and saying it aloud would only make it worse," Levy answered, her voice cracking. My heart ached for her. Seeing her like this was torture, especially since it was my fault.

"I'm not going to make you talk, but I do think it would help you," I replied, placing a hand in hopes of comforting her.

Levy nodded but changed the subject. "Do you remember everything?"

Not wanting to pressure her, I went along with the topic change and answered, "Not really. I remember telling you what happened and then going off to dance… Sorry about that, by the way. I know I must've worried you with how stupid I was acting."

"Water under the bridge. I think if this whole Gajeel mess wasn't happening, I would've found it hilarious."

"I'm sure you would have. How did we get home?"

"We took your phone and texted Capricorn to pick us up. You were already tired by the time he came but Erza made sure to talk to him about school just in case to direct the conversation. Once we got here we rushed you to your room and you passed out right away."

"I didn't even notice you guys when I woke up."

"I could tell by the way you threw the blanket on me and ran to the bathroom."

"Is Juvia here too?"

"Yeah, she's still sleeping on the floor. It's not even seven o'clock yet. Looks like your hangover started early."

"Great. Do you happen to know if I did anything to mess things up with Juvia in any way? I got into a small argument with Erza and completely ruined your night, I wouldn't be surprised if I found a way to upset Juvia too."

"She hasn't mentioned anything and she seemed happy from the party so you might have spared her from your drunken rampage."

"Thank Mavis. I have so much apologizing to do," I said with a sigh.

Levy smiled and replied, "You'll be fine. Well, Gajeel may be a bit harder to win over though."

And man, Gajeel sure holds a grudge.

* * *

 _Juvia P.O.V._

Once Juvia woke up, Juvia found that the rest of the girls were already awake and ready for their days, talking quietly in the opposite side of the room. Juvia was glad to see that Lucy was feeling better and wasn't drunk anymore. Juvia was worried last night for her friend.

"Good morning," Juvia greeted with a wave.

The three girls turned around and smiled. Juvia could tell Levy nor Lucy were fully happy but they seemed to be better than the night before.

"Did you want any breakfast? We already ate," Lucy stated.

Juvia shook her head and answered, "No thanks. Juvia is going on a date with Gray-sama later. What time is it?"

"It's close to noon. You slept in pretty late today. You usually wake up early."

"Juvia stayed up texting Gray-sama."

Juvia and the rest of the girls spent the next few hours talking about last night, making sure to steer clear of what happened with Gajeel-kun. Only Erza and Lucy had been drunk before, so Levy and Juvia asked lots of questions of what it was like to be drunk.

Eventually, it was time for Juvia to leave as she had a date with Gray-sama. Juvia didn't know what we had planned but it didn't matter. Any time with Gray was a good time.

Juvia's dates with Gray-sama were always fun whether they costed money or they were free. The dates were always full of surprises, all of which planned by Gray. Not only was he handsome, intelligent, and funny, he was also very romantic. More romantic than Juvia originally thought.

When Juvia got home, she threw on nicer clothes: an ankle-length black skirt with a slit on the side and a black blouse. Receiving a new text from Gray, Juvia smiled at her phone. He was already almost to Juvia's house.

Since Juvia's parents were still at work, she didn't need to tell anyone before leaving the house. Making sure to lock the door behind her, Juvia smiled at Gray-sama, who was clad in black jeans and a red tee shirt. As always, Juvia's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Juvia," Gray greeted with his signature, small smile. However it seemed a bit strained. Almost as if he was upset about something.

"Hello, Gray-sama," Juvia greeted, hoping she was imagining things. "Where are we going today?"

"The aquarium."

Gray's eyes studied Juvia, making her nervous. There was something off about him, something bothering him. It made Juvia uneasy.

"Juvia loves the aquarium!" she said in hopes of calming her nerves.

Gray's eyes lit up a bit and a real smile graced his face. "Alright, good! Let's go then."

We took the bus because the walk would take too long. Gray apologized for not having his own car so that he could drive us and Juvia assured him it was okay. He seemed to be apologizing a lot that day. Juvia didn't know what to make of it.

When we got to the aquarium, Gray-sama payed for the tickets at the front desk, refusing to accept any of Juvia's money. Luckily the employee was a male and Juvia didn't have to fight for Gray-sama's love. With that, we went to explore the aquarium.

It had been years since Juvia had been to an aquarium. It wasn't for any specific reason other than Juvia didn't have anyone to go with. Juvia's parents work a lot- not like Lucy's father, though- and it kept them busy. So our family days consisted of board games and whatnot.

Walking through the aquarium was fun. There were so many different types of sea life, it was a wonderful sight. Juvia hadn't told anyone, but if she didn't become a professional swimmer, she would love to be a marine biologist. So seeing all of the different animals were exciting.

The octopus was Juvia's favorite part of it all. Matching Erza's hair, the octopus was scarlet in color as it stuck to the tank with its suction cups. There was a rumor that the octopus would sneak out of its tank at night to explore. It was amusing.

Juvia turned her head to find Gray-sama's reaction, only to find a scowl on his face as his hands were shoved in his pockets. With a frown, Juvia turned back to study the octopus again but her mind was focused on Gray. Why was he so upset? Was he going to tell Juvia he didn't feel the same anymore and he was scared of hurting her feelings?

Juvia didn't want Gray-sama to feel differently now but she didn't want him to look so upset either. If it came down to it, Juvia would be willing to let him go if it meant his happiness. Tears pricked Juvia's eyes as she turned to face the boy and let him know he was free.

"Gray-sama," Juvia called out, bringing him out of his apparently depressing thoughts. Clenching the bottom of Juvia's blouse, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

He looked up at me and shook his head with a feigned smile. "Nah, I'm fine. The octopus looks pretty cool-"

"It is obvious Gray is not fine and Juvia would appreciate if he wouldn't lie to her."

He frowned and averted his gaze. "Alright, sorry. I guess I've been a bit distracted."

"Is something wrong? I-Is it Juvia? Do you not feel the same anymore?"

"What? Of course I still feel the same. It's not that, Juvia. I promise."

Juvia released a sigh of relief. "Then what is it? Is it your family?"

"Nah, not them either," Gray answered. His cheeks turned rosy as he continued, "Nothing has been going right though today. For us."

"What do you mean? Juvia is having a lot of fun."

"I know, but…" His hands balled into fists as he explained, "It was supposed to be even better! I went to the flower shop to get you some of your favorite flowers but they were sold out. Then I made you ride on the bus because I don't have a car. And now I guess I've ruined this date because of the fact that I was upset about everything else that didn't work out."

"You are trying very hard for this date, Gray-sama. You don't need any of the extra stuff, Juvia's heart already belongs to you."

"I know but I wanted this date to be perfect."

"Why?"

"B-Because…" Gray shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and turned away, his cheeks pink. "I-I was planning on asking you out and I figured that since I made you wait so long it should be perfect."

Juvia gasped. "Like, officially?"

"Yeah. If that's what you still want…"

"Of course!" Juvia leapt towards Gray-sama and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug, one that apparently cut off his air supply. Others were giving us strange looks but Juvia didn't pay any attention to them. Juvia had all of Gray's love for herself and would never have to worry about love rivals again. Oh, Juvia should start planning the wedding!

"Can't… breathe… Juvia!" Gray-sama stated as he gently pushed Juvia away from him.

Juvia reluctantly moved away but the smile on her face remained.

"Juvia is glad that we are finally together."

Gray smiled and replied, "Me too."

He held out a hand towards Juvia and she accepted, warming from his touch. With that, we continued our exploration of the aquarium, this time in a much lighter mood and our hands never let go.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

I huffed when another player shot my character. Not like it mattered though. I wasn't doing well at all and I wasn't focused thanks to a certain blonde that had yet to text me. Seriously, she just told me she loved me last night and now she was leaving my phone dry.

What a weirdo.

Being the bigger person that I am, I took my phone and opened my conversation with Lucy. I frowned, not knowing what to say and my damn fingers kept shaking because I was nervous. What was I supposed to say to her? I'd never experienced anything like this.

Knowing Lucy, she was probably all embarrassed and avoiding me. Figuring that it would be better to get it out of the way now, I finally started to type.

"Yo Luce!" I sent. A second later I followed up with, "How's the hangover treating you?"

Surprisingly, she replied quickly.

"Hi Natsu," Lucy sent back. "The hangover was terrible, thanks for asking. -_-"

I chuckled and replied, "Thought so. Serves you right for drinking. :P"

"Shut up!"

I raised a brow, surprised that Lucy wasn't acting all awkward. Whenever anything unusual happened, she was always embarrassed. Why is it that she confessed and still acted normally? My phone buzzed in my hand and I looked to see the new text.

"So I messed up things with Levy-chan and Gajeel, made things awkward with Jellal, and had a mini argument with Erza. I'm fine with Gray and Juvia so that just leaves you. Did I do something stupid with you last night?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. That was why she wasn't acting weird. It was because she forgot all about it. Now what the hell was I supposed to do?

"Stupid? Definitely," I replied with a smirk. If it was going to be this way, I was going to have some fun with it.

"Seriously? Oh Mavis, what did I do?"

"Not saying. :P"

"C'mon, Natsuuuu! You have to tell me!"

"Nah. That would be too easy!"

I could just imagine her pouty face. And soon enough, I was able to see it as Lucy sent a Facetime call. Making sure my room didn't look too messy- I knew Lucy would nag me if it was- I accepted the call, making a funny face as it connected.

In seconds, the call connected and I was able to see Lucy's face and upper body as she sat at her desk. Her golden hair was tied into a pony tail which was like her signature hairstyle. She was wearing a pink tank top with stars scattered over it. Best of all, the pouty face of hers I loved was staring back at me.

"C'mon, Natsu!" Lucy whined, crossing her arms. "Just tell me already! I don't like not having a full memory!"

"Then you shouldn't have gotten drunk," I replied with a smirk.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at me. "Just tell me already!"

"Like I said, that would be too easy!"

"Let's make a bet then!"

"A bet?"

"Yep! That's our thing, right?"

I grinned mischievously, liking where this was headed.

"Alright!" I said. "What are we doing then?"

Lucy smirked and replied, "The arcade. Beat you once there before, it'll be a piece of cake doing it again."

"So cocky. Alright, if I win you have to answer three questions honesty."

Lucy narrowed her eyes in hesitation before replying, "Fine. Same goes for if I win."

"Deal!" I shouted. "So how were things with Levy? Was she mad at you?"

The happy vibes from before disappeared as Lucy frowned and shook her head. "She wasn't mad but she was upset and that was just as bad. I don't know how to fix this. I have to apologize to Gajeel soon, too."

"Ehh, I wouldn't try talking to him yet if I were you."

"Is he that mad?"

"I wouldn't doubt it."

Gajeel's anger wasn't one to be messed with. If someone did him wrong, he would make sure they paid for it. And that someone was going to be Lucy this time. Oh, and me since I told her about it. Surprisingly, he didn't do anything last night to punish me. Right when Lucy and the rest of the girls left, he just left without saying anything.

But that didn't mean we were off the hook.

And Lucy and I were going to learn that the hard way.

 **AN:** Wonder what Gajeel is going to do to Nalu. :') We got a lot of Team Gajeels from last chapter! I think I made it obvious that I was Team Gajeel too lol. Hope you guys liked the chapter! Sorry if there were any grammar mistakes I have many finals to go study for so I'm kinda in a rush. :') Please review! :D

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I completely agree! Especially since they haven't been dating that long! And lol I love drunk Lucy. But my fav drunk FT character is Levy omfg I loved her in the Christmas omake! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Hahaha at least she got the whole confession out! :D Just didn't leave any room for Natsu to reply! Thanks for the review! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** OMFG I LOVED YOUR REVIEW. It had me rolling in my own tears lol. (Mulan is my fav Disney movie btw lmao.)

 **00nighthowler00:** We'll see what happens with Gajevy! ;D So far they are still together! :D

 **ZzMiya-chanzz:** Yes! I am team Gajeel too! I think in most fics people make Gajeel be in the wrong so I wanted to switch it and have Levy be in the wrong for once haha! :D And lol I found her funny too especially when she threw up while confessing. Thank you for the review! :D

 **Guest:** Haha I'm glad you like it! :D Thank you so much for the review. :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hahaha omg yep! And yes! A confession is just what they needed, even if it was a drunk one! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Omg haha why did you have detention sis? And lol yep poor Natsu. The only thing keeping him going is the confession that Lucy didn't even remember lmao.

 **Nalulove:** Thank you so much! :D

 **MuffinMalonez:** Ahh like your intake on it! She just needs to take things slower! And thank you for the review! :D

 **Crystal Kitty842:** As of right now, Levy ain't understading! :') But hopefully soon! Thank you for the review. :)

 **IndianaCombs:** Well she didn't remember the confession. :') And ahh no I've never heard of it! What's it about? :D

 **Alexa60765:** Haha yep she was definitely hurting in the morning. I don't know how everyone else feels with a hangover, but that is how I feel with them lmao. And thank you so much. :')

 **Zexalloverforever39:** She sure did. Hopefully she fixes it with Gajeel soon. :')


	29. Chapter 29

**AN:** Hi guys! A little late in the day but I'm still on track lol. :D I though this story would end at 35 but I think it will be in the 40s! Hope you guys stick around until then! :D Also, I'm finally on Spring Break. :')

Chapter 29

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Sunday)_

The day went by in a blur, just as most Sundays do- probably because they are the last free days one has before school. Nothing too special happened after waking up. Natsu and I texted for a while before I left to study. Since our tutoring sessions with Crux, my motivation to do well in school returned and I was taking my grades into my own hands.

I spent most of the day in bed, smothered in my blankets. Winter's chill was coming in full effect, I wouldn't have been surprised if it started to snow.

" _I wonder if Natsu likes the snow. Probably not."_

It didn't take long since meeting Natsu for me to find out about his strange love for fire. Great, I fell in love with a pyro.

I got out of the warm security of my blankets to head downstairs and into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. My body raked with shivers as I tore open the packet and poured it into my mug, pink in color with flowers. After filling it with hot water and stirring the liquid, I happily plopped a few marshmallows on top before heading back into my room, careful not to spill.

When I got back to my room, I set my hot chocolate on my nightstand- it was still too hot to drink- and situated myself once again in the covers. Grabbing my phone, I was surprised that I had a bunch of new texts. Clicking on the message app, I saw that most of them were from the group chat I had with the girls and a couple were from Natsu.

I chose to check the ones from the girls first. Most of them were long messages from Juvia in which I saw Gray's name scattered around several times. It didn't take long to realize she was talking about her date.

"Skyping would make this easier," Erza replied before I could read Juvia's lengthy texts.

"Juvia is alright with Skyping!" the blunette replied.

Without needing to reply, I heard my computer going off with the familiar ringtone. With a smile, I brought my blankets and hot chocolate to my desk and sat in front of the computer. Answering the call, I saw that it was only Erza and Juvia at the moment.

"Hi, Lucy!" Juvia greeted. She was definitely a much more cheerful person now, I liked it. She was coming out of her shell.

"Hey, Juvia!" I replied with a wave. "Hi, Erza! Where's Levy-chan?"

The blunette's smile faltered as she answered, "Juvia isn't sure if she should add Levy or not. Juvia doesn't mind talking to Levy but with everything happening between her and Gajeel-kun, I'm not sure if she'll want to hear all of this…"

I nodded in understanding, knowing that Juvia just wanted to spare Levy's feelings. However, nobody wants to be pitied.

"I think we should invite her," I stated. "Levy is our friend and even if she isn't the happiest person on the planet right now, she would never wish for us to be sad too. Besides, nobody wants to be pitied."

I saw Erza flinch a bit, knowing that it was because of what happened between us. I completely forgave her but it didn't mend things entirely. Only time would do that.

"She's right," the redhead added. "I'll invite her and if she doesn't pick up, we'll leave her alone."

In a matter of seconds, another head of blue appeared as Levy answered the call, a weak grin plastered to her face. Her eyes were pink and puffy and her hair was messy. There were large bags under her eyes, clear signs she wasn't getting much sleep.

"Hey, guys," Levy greeted. "What's up?"

"We're talking about Juvia's date with Gray last night," I answered, smiling at the screen. I completely understood if Levy wasn't ready to talk about it and I wasn't going to question her. If she wanted to cry, I would let her. If she wanted to ignore it, I would let her.

"Oh, how was it?"

Juvia clasped her hands together and I could practically see hearts forming in the love-struck girl's eyes.

"It was amazing!" she swooned. "Gray-sama took Juvia to an aquarium-"

"You do love aquariums," Erza interrupted with an approving nod.

"Yes! At first Juvia thought Gray-sama was going to tell her he changed his mind because he was acting different. He seemed upset and Juvia didn't know what to do. But then it turned out he was just afraid of asking Juvia out because he wanted it to be perfect! He is so sweet and romantic and gorgeous and-"

"We get it, Juvia," I interrupted with a giggle. "I tried telling him not to overthink it. Guess he didn't listen."

"He talked about it to you?"

"Yep! He's been wanting to ask you out! Congrats, Juvia!"

Juvia blushed while all of the girls congratulated her. We knew firsthand how much she loved Gray. After all, she was declaring her love for him since her first day at Fairy Tail.

A blush coated Erza's cheeks as she cleared her throat and stammered, "J-Jellal and I are also dating. Officially, of course. We've been dating for almost a week."

"A week?" Levy asked in astonishment. "How did we not know about it?"

Erza's eyes moved fractionally to the right and I assumed that meant she was looking at me on her screen. I smiled to let her know everything was okay.

"I suppose I just wasn't ready for anyone else to know," she fibbed. It wasn't entirely a lie. She just didn't want _me_ to know.

With that, the girls and I chatted for nearly an hour before ending the call. That day wasn't too eventful but I was grateful for it. After all, it was the calm before the storm.

* * *

 _Erza P.O.V._

After leaving Lucy's house, I situated myself at my desk. All of my completed homework or student council work was stacked neatly at the top right corner of the desk while my laptop sat in the center. Wendy was hanging out with her friend, Chelia, and would be back for dinner, which Mother was preparing at the moment.

I opened my laptop and frowned at the opened tab. In bold letters was the name of one of the many universities I had been researching. There were so many options to choose from, so many that would have been perfect for me that I would have been easily accepted into. The only problem was what about Jellal?

Things with Jellal were going swimmingly and our love was rekindled as if a day hadn't passed since we were just kids playing in the park. With our new relationship, I was burdened at the thought of having to leave him next year.

I had no doubts of Jellal's intelligence or his grades, but his past was definitely going to prove to be an issue when applying to colleges. It would be much harder for him to be accepted, even if he was ranked third in the school. And what if he didn't even want to attend a university? Would our relationship survive long distance?

Though things were going well, it was still unstable. I may have long forgiven him, but that didn't mean I would ever forget his past transgressions. Things were still too new for us, adding distance to the mix would surely take its toll.

With a heavy sigh, I closed my laptop, not yet ready to deal with the problems of my future. Perhaps being like Natsu could help me for a change. He always said whenever he had a problem, he would let his future self handle it. Maybe that was the right thing to do in this case.

With nothing else to do, I left my room and headed towards the kitchen where my mother was preparing dinner. Cooking was something she enjoyed doing, something that was passed down to Wendy. Along with the love of medical science. I wasn't exactly chef-material, but I knew the basics.

"Do you need any help with anything?" I asked, washing my hands in order to help.

Mother smiled at me and answered, "Sure! How about you crack the eggs for me? We're having breakfast for dinner!"

I nodded, grabbing the eggs that were placed on the counter. Cracking them over the frying pan, I smirked. It reminded me of when I would crack the boys' heads together when they were getting too rowdy. When the edges of the egg started to brown, I flipped them over with a spatula and waited some more.

"So when is Jellal going to stay for dinner again?" Mother inquired with a knowing smile. "Your sister and I would love to get to know him better."

My cheeks tinted pink as I replied, "We haven't really made plans for it. W-We've only been dating a week, you know."

"A week? And yet you two are already kissing like you've been together for years!"

I bit my bottom lip. Mother didn't know anything about Jellal. Which meant she didn't know that I had known him for years or that he was the one that gave me my last name. And she definitely didn't know about his past.

Should I have told her? She was the woman that adopted me and gave me a family, lying to her felt wrong. But what if she forbade me from seeing Jellal again? I shook my head. No, she wouldn't do that.

"Actually…" I began hesitantly. "There's something I haven't told you before…"

The woman raised a brow and with that, I told her everything. I told her about how I met Jellal at the orphanage and how he gave me my last name, which I hadn't changed even after being adopted. I told her about how we would sneak out every night and about our first kiss. I even told her how things went south between us.

I kept my gaze low, expecting the worst. Having an ex drug dealing boyfriend wasn't something parents hoped for their children. I expected her to yell or cry or even forbid me from seeing Jellal. Instead…

"So he is the one that gave you your last name?" Mother questioned. I couldn't read her emotions.

I nodded and answered, "Yes."

At that, the woman's face lit up as she exclaimed, "That's so sweet! Oh, Erza. I'm glad you told me this. Though I don't want you growing up too fast, I do believe that Jellal is someone you need in your life."

"W-What? But what about his past?"

"Well of course I am a bit worried about it, but if you trust that he's changed and gave him another chance then I will too. It's the least I could do for the boy that made my daughter's life at that terrible orphanage better."

"So I can still see him?"

"Of course! Now help me set the table, dear."

I nodded with a smile planted on my face. It was times like these when I truly knew I belonged in this family and I was glad she adopted me those years ago. All that was left was for Jellal to find a family.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

"So instead of telling her she confessed her love to you, you made a bet?"

"Yep."

"And you don't see how that was your chance to make things work?"

"Nope."

"And why not?"

I pouted and crossed my arms as Lisanna gave an annoyed sigh. Just like we said we would, we made plans to hang out. Since she worked at the diner, though, that limited her times. So, we were eating at the Strauss Diner until her night shift started.

"Look, I know Lucy," I said. "If I told her she confessed when she was drunk, she would've hung up on me and wouldn't talk to me for days. She gets embarrassed easily."

"Well I'm sure she wouldn't be if you told her that you feel the same!" Lisanna replied.

"But I wouldn't have been able to because she would've hung up right away!"

"She might not have!"

"She would have!"

"Are you two arguing again?" Mira asked with a smile as she refilled our cups. "This is just like old times."

"Natsu passed up the perfect opportunity to confess to Lucy," Lisanna told her.

"Aww, why would you do that?" Mira asked with a frown.

"Wait, she knows about Lucy?" I asked.

"Yes I do! She was the blonde girl, right? I think you two would be so cute together, especially from what Lisanna told me!"

I huffed and turned away as my cheeks started to get hot. That was a good sign that I was blushing and I _hated_ it. The thought of Lucy always managed to make my body do weird things. I wondered if it would ever stop.

"Look, I have a plan," I told them. "Just you wait and see, things are going to work out just fine!"

 **AN:** Nothing too eventful this chapter but next chapter for sure! Hope you all enjoyed! :D

 **cRaZieSt aNgEl eVeR:** Haha we'll see Gajeel's reaction next chapter! And I can tell you now it ain't gonna be pretty! ;D Thank you for the review! :D

 **Woundedninja:** Lmao yes I do. I can't help it haha! It makes things more fun! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha so here's the progress report for our ships: Gruvia and Jerza are sailing smoothly, Nalu is slowly getting there, and Gajevy is drowning at sea :')

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Gruvia has suffered enough I have to cut them some slack. :) And we'll see what happens with Gajevy next chapter! ;D

 **Nalulove:** Haha that would be too easy if she remembered! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Hahaha we'll see how he's holding up next chapter! ;D Hopefully he shows them some mercy. :')

 **Axelle.813:** Haha yes! :D But I'm pretty sure the octopus in Finding Dory was inspired by a real life octopus that did that haha! :D And thank you so much. :')

 **00nighthowler00:** Lol at least some of them are getting better! :D The only ones in a funk are Gajevy. Maybe I'll be nicer to them soon but probably not! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Omg for singing? Your teacher sounds like a jerk! That is why I don't miss high school at all. :') And thanks sis! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Haha betting is their thing in this story I love it! :D AND HAHA YOU'LL FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER IT AIN'T GOOD! :D

 **MuffinMalonez:** Haha I can guarantee he isn't going to be the nicest person towards her! :') Thanks for the review! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** WE'RE GETTING SO CLOSE. And we'll see. ;D

 **Guest:** Ahh thank you so much! :D I'm glad you like it. :)

 **Guest:** Lol Gruvia is the slowest paced in my story so you're gonna have to wait a lil longer for a kiss! :D Gajevy was fast, Jerza was medium, Gruvia is slow, and Nalu is a rollercoaster lol. I'm really glad you liked the Gruvia date thank you so much! :D

 **Zexalloverforever39:** If you're talking about Gajeel, it definitely will not work out well. :') Haha thanks for the review! :D


	30. Chapter 30

**AN:** Hello everyone. :) Just a heads up, the Gajevy drama will continue for a little more. Bear with me. :) Anyways, hope you like the chapter! :D

Chapter 30

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Monday)_

My stomach churned anxiously as I woke up that morning. It felt like I had to throw up but I refrained from doing so. I think I did enough of that on Saturday. It was Monday morning, just an hour away from seeing Gajeel. Levy and Natsu warned me to give him some time and I listened but now I was starting to second guess my decision.

What if waiting made it seem like I didn't care? Should I have just apologized the moment I remembered what I did? These questioned circled in my mind, causing my stomach to twist and turn some more. Throwing up was seeming more and more likely by the second.

With great reluctance, I got dressed and ready for school. I could barely even stomach my breakfast. Finally, I was out the door with Capricorn and riding towards the school.

The hallways were a bit fuller than usual, which was probably because I was a little late. I kept walking towards my classroom, my feet feeling like bricks, when I noticed everyone looking at me. They were all whispering to each other while staring at me. Didn't take a genius to figure out they were talking about me.

" _Great,"_ I thought with a sigh. " _They must be talking about how dumb I was during the party. How embarrassing!"_

I smiled hesitantly and waved, hoping to relieve some of my embarrassment. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. The boys looked at me and sighed while the girls looked… hopeful? Just what exactly was going on?

When I got into the classroom, I immediately noticed Gajeel sitting in his seat across the room while Levy, Erza, Jellal, Gray, and Juvia were sitting in our corner. Of course, Natsu wasn't there yet. I also noticed that the five immediately whipped their heads toward me, their eyes widened with shock. Could the day get any weirder?

Apparently it could.

"L-Lucy!" Erza stammered, snatching something out of Gray's hands and shoving it deep into her backpack.

I arched a brow in suspicion and questioned, "What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Come, sit down."

I took my seat and watched as everyone kept their eyes suspiciously glued to anywhere _but_ me. I knew my friend were strange but I didn't think they were _that_ strange.

"Alright, just tell me what's going on already," I ordered with a sigh. It was best to get whatever was on their minds out in the open if it concerned me.

Gray nodded, apparently agreeing with my thoughts, and retrieved the thing that was shoved in Erza's backpack. It was a clump of crumpled paper. Soothing it out the best he could, the raven-haired boy handed it to me.

"Care to explain this boyfriend of yours?" Gray asked.

My eyebrows shot up as I glanced towards the paper. It was the school's newspaper, written by a senior named Jason. I didn't know much about him other than the fact that he followed our two groups all the time and kept asking questions nobody cared to answer. It was like he was obsessed with all of us and we didn't know why and he persisted on writing articles about us.

Since we weren't telling Jason personal things, usually they were topics that nobody should care about in the first place, like what our daily routines were or our favorite type of music. Yet on that Monday, it seemed like my love life was the cover page.

 _Fairy Tail's blonde heartthrob, Lucy Heartfilia, is officially taken by a mysterious outsider!_

On the cover was a picture of Loke and I at the party when he was helping me from pervs on the dance floor. Apparently the school believed he and I were dating. Great.

"W-What is this?" I shrieked in a not-so-ladylike voice. "It's obvious Loke is just helping in this picture!"

"So you know him?" Gray asked with raised brows.

"Yeah, his name is Loke and he's my childhood friend. But why does everyone think we're dating? We aren't even doing anything in this picture! There's no reason to believe such a lie!"

"Maybe they wouldn't believe it if it wasn't for the second picture."

"Second picture?"

Gray reached towards the newspaper and flipped the page, revealing a picture of me in my pajamas hugging Loke outside of my house. I remembered exactly when this picture was taken. It was from when I had a sleepover with the girls and we ordered pizza.

"How the hell does Jason have this picture?" I asked, fury settling in the pit of my stomach like a stone. My hands tightened over the newspaper, crumpling it once again. "Is he _stalking_ me? I'm going to beat the absolute shi-"

"He's not stalking you," Levy interrupted. She gave a wary look as she continued, "That picture is from me."

"What?" I breathed out. "You sent this to Jason?"

"No but I was the one that took that picture. Back when we had our first sleepover. I was going to tease you about it after but I guess I never did and now…"

"Now the whole school thinks I'm with Loke."

"Juvia doesn't think it is a bad situation," the blunette chimed in. "All you have to do is explain the truth."

"I don't believe it would be that simple," Jellal replied. "Not everyone will believe it and it doesn't completely stop the rumors from spreading."

"But it's a good start," Erza added.

I nodded and realeased another heavy sigh. Already the day wasn't turning out so well. "I just wonder how Jason got that picture."

"Ain't it obvious?" a sudden voice questioned. Natsu came stalking into the classroom, his face scrunched in anger as he clenched another copy of the newspaper. He marched to the opposite side of the room where Gajeel was sitting. " _You_ sent this picture to Jason, didn't you?"

Gajeel scoffed and turned towards Natsu. "Don't go accusing me for shit or else I'll bash your head in, Salamander."

"But it's so obvious," Natsu argued. "You probably got this picture from Levy and sent it to Jason because of what happened at the stupid party."

"And what if I did? Not like a little rumor will kill Bunny Girl."

I got up from my seat and rushed towards Natsu in hopes of calming him down. Besides, I deserved something like this coming from Gajeel. I grabbed Natsu's hand and pulled him back a bit before turning towards the other boy.

With a frown, I stated, "I'm sorry, Gajeel. I never meant to tell Levy-chan about your past. I was drunk and stupid and I promise it won't ever happen again."

Gajeel turned red in the face as he shouted, "No it won't happen again because you already told her everything!" He shot up from his desk, his chair falling backwards.

Natsu stepped in front of me, a warning growl resonating in his throat. "Leave her alone, Gajeel."

That seemed to anger the dark-haired boy even further. "Leave her alone? None of this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for her!"

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted. "Don't blame her for telling me something you should have from the start!"

At that moment, Sensei entered the room and it was clear he sensed the tension lingering in the air.

"Now, now," he began, "don't you think it's a little early for all of this yelling? C'mon, everyone. Take your seats and let's start class."

Everyone reluctantly went back to their seats save for Gajeel. He stood still with his hands forming tight fists while hatred burned deeply in his eyes.

"Oi, Gajeel," Gildarts Sensei called out. "Sit down."

Gajeel directed his attention towards Sensei, his anger unyielding. "Huh? I don't take orders from you."

"Gajeel, don't do this. You've improved drastically this year, don't go back to who you were. Just sit down."

"Who I was? I don't know what the hell you're talking about but I never changed! I'm the same as always! In fact, screw this shit! I'm out of here!"

The bulky boy then delivered a harsh kick to his desk, sending it rocketing forward and nearly decapitating the boy in front of him. He stalked out of the room, ignoring Sensei's barks for him to get back. I bit my lower lip anxiously, hoping that things would go back to normal soon. But that was just the beginning.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

I crossed my arms and huffed, glaring as Gajeel left the room. Now the dumbass was in deep shit. Served him right for pissing me off.

Coming to school and immediately being questioned about Lucy's relationship wasn't something I had in mind and I wasn't taking it well.

 _Entering the school, I grinned as I rushed down the hall, ready to annoy Lucy as always. Before I could cut a corner, someone got in front of me, blocking my path. In front of me stood Jason, his notepad and pencil in hand as always._

 _Jason always tried asking me questions for the paper and each time I would punch him for being annoying. A lot of the times I would end up in the paper anyways and his obsession with me didn't stop, no matter how many times I punched him. The guy was like a leech that just wouldn't go away._

 _So when he came up to me that morning, I didn't give him a chance to ask any questions and instead struck him in the jaw and sent him flat on his ass._

 _"I ain't answering any of your dumb questions!" I shouted, walking past him to go to Lucy._

 _The guy quickly got up and replied, "That punch was cool, cool! But I'm not here to ask about you! I'm here to ask about Lucy Heartfilia, your best friend!"_

 _"Get lost. I ain't telling you anything about her."_

 _I shoved my hands in my pockets, ready to ignore what he had to say. Too bad he ended up surprising me._

 _"Can you give me any details about Lucy's new boyfriend?"_

 _That definitely got me to stop. I turned on my heel and stalked towards Jason, grabbing him by the collar._

 _"What the hell are you going on about?" I asked, rage bubbling within me._

 _"It's my new article in the school's newspaper! I was tipped off by someone that Lucy Heartfilia is in a relationship! Cool, cool!"_

 _"She ain't in a relationship, whoever told you that crap is a liar."_

 _"But I have pictures to back it up!"_

 _And sure enough, the pictures he showed me had me seeing red, particularly one in which Lucy was hugging that guy from the party, Loke._

Once the class calmed down from Gajeel's outburst, I huffed and laid my head on the desk. I knew that Lucy didn't like Loke and that he was probably taken by that girl with the pink hair. But it didn't stop me from feeling jealous. I was almost as jealous as the time I thought Lucy and Gray liked each other.

And I had Gajeel to blame for this. Alright, so I may have told Lucy a secret of his, but was it really that big of a deal? It wasn't worth this stupid tantrum he was throwing and I was definitely going to kick his ass later for it.

When school ended, I went with Lucy to her house for tutoring like always. My grades improved a lot since we started and I was actually starting to look like a good student. My lowest grade was now a C+ in English, which was my worst subject, and I was even acing Chemistry. Maybe this tutoring thing wasn't so bad after all.

When Crux left for his daily snack, I sighed in relief and glanced towards Lucy. Her golden hair was blocking most of her face but I could still make out a frown. She was like that ever since the whole situation with Gajeel happened. Now I really had to kick his ass.

"Cheer up, Lucy!" I told her. "Gajeel is always like this when he's pissed, he'll come around!"

"But I still did something bad," she replied, her frown deepening. "He is a dear friend of mine and I hurt him."

"Well yeah, but we all make mistakes! He'll get over it eventually!"

"But what'll happen until then? First there's this rumor- which people haven't shut up about all day I might add. What is he going to do next? Don't get me wrong, I deserve it for what I did, but I'm still worried."

"You don't deserve it, Lucy."

"You're biased. You're just saying that because you're my best friend."

"No, it's true. Gajeel has every right to be mad but he shouldn't be doing crap like this. He needs to learn how to control himself."

"Well that's something you and him have in common."

"Shut up," I said, nudging her. "He'll come around, just give him time."

Lucy nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

Placing my book back on my desk, I gave a heavy sigh. I couldn't read, not like this. Not when my eyes were puffy to the extent that they were barely open. I needed to control my crying because it was really taking a toll on my body.

Snuggling deeper into my safe-haven of a blanket, I grabbed my phone, noticing that it was drier than usual. There were only a few unread messages from the group chat I had with the girls. There wasn't anything from Gajeel.

Gajeel and I hadn't talked since the party and in truth I was worried about him. His outburst in class wasn't good at all and it seemed like he was reverting back to the person he used to be. The delinquent. I wanted to run after him and make sure he was okay.

But I didn't. I couldn't.

Tears rimmed my eyes as my thoughts turned south once again. Though I was worried about Gajeel, I hadn't forgiven him yet. I wanted to hear about his past from him, not Lucy. Of course, I forgave her since she was drunk but I couldn't do the same for him. I couldn't help but think that if he had just told me from the start, then none of this would've been happening.

Things were complicated, so complicated that I didn't understand anything anymore. I was a straight A student that had colleges fighting over me. I could read novels at speeds that nobody else could and explain them with ease. I knew hard formulas, equations, and complicated theories. And yet I couldn't grasp what was happening with Gajeel and I anymore.

What happened to the simpler times? The times when I could just sit with Gajeel during his lunch breaks and just be filled with content. The times when we could sit together in peace and tease each other. The times when we could share simple kisses.

Now, I didn't even know if we were still together or not. Neither of us specifically said that we wanted to end our relationship, but we certainly weren't acting like a couple. Were we actually broken up?

The worst part was that I didn't know if that was a bad thing or not.

I cared deeply for Gajeel and I was sure that we were headed towards love before all of this happened. So why couldn't I just forgive him? Why couldn't I handle talking to him and being around him?

I knew the answer. I was just too scared to say it aloud, knowing that it would make it too real.

It was because I was scared. I was scared of Gajeel. After finding out his past, I understood his reason for keeping it a secret. It was because he didn't want me to fear him. And as the guilt ebbed at my heart, I had to admit that I did fear him. I was terrified.

I knew that Gajeel was a delinquent but I never pegged him as a gang member. To think that he almost killed Natsu because of his orders were terrifying. What if he actually went through with it?

I was aware he didn't and that he changed but it did nothing to soothe my nerves. Gajeel had a frightening past, one that I wasn't sure I could grow accepting of. But I didn't want to end things with him. But what was I supposed to do? Just be with someone I feared?

There was a sudden knock at the door, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Levy? I baked some cookies. Would you like to join me in the living room to watch a movie and eat with me?" my mother questioned from beyond the door. I could hear the worry in her voice. It didn't take a genius to know that I wasn't in the best state of mind.

"No thanks," I replied, my voice hoarse. "I'm studying for a test."

"O-Oh. Alright. Well just remember I'm here for you if you ever want to talk."

At the sound of my mother's footsteps growing faint, I sighed. I couldn't keep worrying people like this. I had to get a grip. I had to decide what I wanted soon. I had to decide what path my relationship with Gajeel would take, whether it would reach its end or if it would continue to drive forward despite its obstacles.

I could only hope I would make the right choice.

 **AN:** So the first part of Gajeel's revenge was to start a rumor to make Natsu jealous. :') Wonder what he has planned next. :') Hope you enjoyed and please review! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Ahh haha I feel so bad for you! Mine is already almost over. :')

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** No real confrontation between Gajeel and Levy this chapter but very soon. ;D And Juvia is such a cinnamon roll. :')

 **00nighthowler00:** Ahh haha I know it is taking a while. They are the slowest moving couple in FT so I'm trying to put that in my story too. :) It is definitely harder to write because I just want to add tons of fluff but we will get there soon, I promise. :') And about Gajevy, they won't be making up for a little longer. :')

 **Alexa60765:** Haha I don't think it was too bad but we're off to a start on Gajeel's revenge. :')

 **Nalulove:** Things aren't too bad yet. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh I can guarantee he isn't going to beat Lucy up lol I wouldn't make him go that far! :D And about Nalu, soonish? :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** We'll see his plan soon! :D Tbh I'm afraid people won't like it because whenever I write Natsu doing anything remotely romantic someone tells me he's OOC. :')

 **Guest:** Ahh thank you for the reviews. :') Glad you like the story! :D

 **Ohlordjesusimshitted:** I love your username lmao. And I wouldn't say Gajevy gets worse, but it does take some time to get better. :')

 **Yorokobi-quintrell:** I had to put a dash in your username because FF will think it's a website if I don't and they don't like that lol. And thank you so much I'm so glad you like it! :D Thanks for the review. :)

 **IndianaCombs:** Omg that manga sounds so sad haha! I don't even know if I would be able to read it! I'm reading My Hero Academia right now and it's alright haha. Have you read it? :) And thank you for the reviews! :D


	31. Chapter 31

**AN:** Hello everyone! This chapter was a little harder to write because I am lacking motivation for this story tbh. :') But I am pushing through best I can even with my busy schedule! I will finish this story just like my other Nalu stories, I promise! :D

Chapter 31

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Tuesday)_

When I got to school that morning, I stomped through the halls and into the classroom, about ready to murder the next person to ask me about Lucy and her mysterious boyfriend. Even though Lucy posted on Facebook that she wasn't in a relationship and that it was all a misunderstanding, the idiots at this school didn't believe her. To make things worse, some ballsy people had to nerve to ask me if I was jealous, which ended with them having black eyes. I was seriously going to beat the hell out of Gajeel.

I even left home early so that I could do it without getting caught. But sure enough, the bastard wasn't there yet. All of my friends were there and my eyes immediately landed on Lucy. She was frowning, along with Levy. But Levy looked even worse. I felt bad for her.

"Hi, Natsu," Lucy said with a smile. It was small but real and that was all I could ask for.

"Yo, Lucy!" I replied. "Hope you're ready to get your ass beat at the arcade today!"

"Today?"

"Yeah! Figured we could go after tutoring!"

Lucy chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, Natsu! I actually have plans after school today! I won't be going to tutoring either."

"Whaaat? What're you doing?" I asked.

"It's a secret!"

"No fair! I wanna know!"

"Well too bad!"

"Can you guys flirt somewhere else?" Gray asked. Alright, after I murdered Gajeel, I would go after him.

"Shut it, Popsicle Stick," I replied.

"Make me, Flame Brains."

Before we could start fighting, Erza threw books at us. Gildarts then came into the classroom.

"Class is about to start," Juvia said with a worried frown. "Juvia is worried about Gajeel-kun. He isn't here yet."

"He just needs some time," Jellal replied.

I glanced towards Levy, who was staying silent during the conversation. Gajeel needed to get his act together fast or else he was going to lose her.

"So Gajeel isn't here, huh?" Gildarts asked once the bell rang as everyone moved to their seats. I wished I knew Lucy when the school year started so we could sit by each other. But now the seats were assigned so there was no changing that. "Alright, let's get started then."

* * *

 _Gray P.O.V._

After school ended, Juvia and I started walking back to my place. She was pretty upset over this Gajeel thing considering they were close friends. Hell, she seemed closer to Gajeel than Natsu and I were. I figured I would get her mind off of it for a while.

"Hey, Juvia," Ultear greeted once we entered the house.

"Hello, Ultear-san," Juvia replied with a small wave. I was glad that my siblings got along with her well. I don't think I would be able to handle being with someone that my siblings didn't like.

"We're gonna go play some video games," I said, grabbing Juvia's hand and leading her to my room. I became a blushing mess after hearing my damn sister telling us to use protection, knowing that we weren't having sex. She just loved messing with me. As annoying as it was, I would take this side of her over how she was in the past.

Closing the door behind us, I gave a heavy sigh. The day just kept getting longer and longer. Juvia took to setting the console up herself. She was pretty good at video games for someone that didn't play much.

We sat by each other on the bed and she leaned into my side, causing my cheeks to warm. Seriously, I was usually ice-cold yet she managed to give me a heat I never experienced. I was grateful that she was the one to break down my walls.

"Juvia is glad you invited her over," she said.

"Me too," I replied with a small smile. "How you holding up?"

"Juvia is worried about Gajeel-kun but Levy is in a much worse state. Juvia doesn't know how to help either of them."

"Well maybe we should just let them figure it out themselves. I don't think this is something we can help with anyways."

Juvia nodded and started a match, moving the joystick and mashing the buttons to shoot the opponents. Since I left my other controller at Natsu's place months ago- and the jackass hadn't returned it yet- we had to take turns. I didn't mind it so much though. It let me fully look at Juvia.

In my eyes, Juvia was the most attractive girl I knew. Of course, the other guys would argue that their girlfriends were attractive, and that was fine. It was actually better that way. We each had our own types and a girl that fit that perfectly; in other words, we didn't need to worry about love triangles and all that other cliché stuff from movies.

There was a lot to like about Juvia. Her blue hair complimented her fair skin. Her eyes were bright, especially when she talked about things she liked- most of the time it being me. And I wasn't blind, of course I noticed her other… _assets._ Her thighs were definitely pleasing.

After realizing that my eyes moved on their own towards Juvia's legs, I forced my gaze upwards until they landed on her lips. Her plump lips. Another wave of heat travelled through my body and I couldn't tear my gaze away.

All of our friends that were in relationships kissed. That's what people were supposed to do in relationships, right? Would it have been weird if I did it? Would I have been rushing things?

To my surprise, Juvia's lips formed a smile. She put the controller down and faced me, her cheeks pink.

"Gray-sama is very obvious with his staring," she said.

I turned away, knowing damn well my face was turning red. Which was even worse since I had paler skin than everyone else.

Juvia giggled, seeing right through me and said, "Juvia is fine with whatever pace Gray-sama wants to go. She doesn't want to rush you."

"Well it's not like I want to rush you either," I replied.

"Juvia doesn't think a kiss would be rushing."

"You don't?"

"Not at all."

With an audible gulp, I glanced at Juvia's lips again. They were so inviting, it was hard to resist. So, I didn't. Learning forward, I could feel myself getting sweaty. Was I seriously that nervous? Luckily, Juvia didn't say anything and instead moved closer. Finally, my lips landed on hers.

It was a strange experience to say the least. Her lips were warm but not overwhelmingly so. My mouth moved on its own and I really had no idea how to describe it all, that was Lucy's forte. It was just… nice.

Though I did want to move my hands some other places, I kept them on my lap instead. We were moving slow in our relationship to feel the technicalities of it out, not to feel each other's bodies. If we ever reached that point in our relationship, that would be nice. But for now, a kiss was fine.

A loud noise suddenly came from the kitchen, promptly followed by Ultear's cursing, causing us to break apart. I figured Ultear dropped the pot she was cooking with- it wasn't the first time it happened, after all. She wasn't the cooking type but was trying it out for Lyon and I. It was definitely entertaining to watch sometimes but she sure did have some bad timing.

"Should we go help?" Juvia asked. Now I got to fully look at her. Her face was a lot redder than before and I prided myself in it. And even though I kept my hands to myself, her hair looked a little messy somehow. It wasn't a bad kind of messy, though. It was actually kinda hot.

"She'll be fine," I answered after turning to look at the wall. If I kept on with those thoughts, I knew my body would betray me.

Luckily, Juvia didn't question my strange movements and instead nodded. "How is Gray-sama?"

"I-I'm fine. How are you?"

"Juvia is wonderful!" Amused with her enthusiasm, I smiled, letting her continue. "Juvia is in Gray-sama's bed and sharing passionate kisses-!"

"Okay, okay!" I replied, putting my hand over her mouth. "Let's not go screaming that to the world, alright? Especially when my sister is downstairs. She'll kill me."

"Oops," Juvia replied with a chuckle. "Juvia will be more careful next time. Juvia is glad we moved to this stage of our relationship. Now Juvia is with Erza and Levy!"

"Huh?"

"The girls and Juvia were talking about our first kisses! Only Erza and Levy had experience but Juvia just joined them! That just leaves Lucy!"

I laughed, having to put my hands on my knees to support myself. "As if Natsu would make the moves! He's an idiot! Sucks for Lucy."

"You never know. Juvia thinks the two are just getting closer and closer."

"Yeah, but she would definitely have to make the first move."

"Juvia disagrees! Juvia thinks Natsu will be the one to make the first move!"

I smirked and arched a brow. "Oh yeah? Well then let's be like Natsu- sorry, I almost barfed just saying his name."

Juvia playfully slapped my arm, giggling. Her laugh was cute. "Just say it!"

"How about we be like those two idiots and make a bet of our own?"

"That sounds fun! How about the loser pays for our next date?"

"Sounds good. But we can't talk to either of them about it! That would influence them. Deal?"

"Deal!"

We shook on it, smirking at each other. Despite what most people thought, Juvia had a feisty side to her, one that didn't come out just because another girl was talking to me. It came out unexpectedly sometimes, but it wasn't a bad thing. I really liked that side to her. There were actually a lot of sides to her and I was sure that there were more I hadn't seen yet. But I was willing to stay and see.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

With clammy hands, I knocked gently on the metal door. It was a strange material to make a door out of for an apartment. Or at least I thought it was. But it was fitting for the boy I was visiting.

Before school ended, I managed to get Gajeel's address from Levy. It had taken some time to convince her to tell me since she seemed adamant that I didn't go, but eventually the girl conceded. Now here I was, standing outside of his apartment, waiting for someone to come to the door.

In truth, I wanted to run the moment I knocked, afraid that Gajeel was going to rip me a new one. My entire body was perspiring and my legs felt like jelly. All I had to say were two words but I was terrified of the boy, not that he was going to physically hurt me or anything. No, I truly believed with all of my heart that he wasn't like that anymore. But I was sure his words weren't going to be so kind.

Finally, I heard the lock on the door turn and I nearly bolted. Knowing I wouldn't get far anyways, I swallowed thickly and planted my feet as firmly as I could into the concrete floor, a determined gleam in my eyes.

To my surprise, however, Gajeel didn't come to the door. Instead, there was an old woman frowning at me. There were bags under her eyes, some of which weren't naturally caused by her age. It was clear she hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while.

"Hello," I meekly greeted, bowing my head in respect to the lady. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I was hoping to see Gajeel. Is he here?" Pain flashed in the woman's eyes and I instantly regretted asking.

She shook her head. "No. Gajeel hasn't been here for a few days."

"Days?" I asked, my eyes wide. From what Levy told me, Gajeel cared for this woman and thought of her as his grandmother.

"Yes. He hasn't come home since Friday."

Friday. The day of the party. So not only did I burden Levy and Gajeel, I also burdened a woman I never even met before with my actions. It was then that I promised myself not to get overly drunk again. I might not have friends if I did.

"Oh. Well thank you for your time," I replied, turning to walk back. I was determined to fix things but it wasn't going to be possible without knowing where he was.

"Wait," the woman called out. "The auto shop. Just because he isn't here doesn't mean I don't know where he is. I was giving him time to get over what's been eating at him. Perhaps you can help him. He works at the auto shop and has been devoting all of his time there."

"Thank you," I replied with another bow before rushing off. I didn't get to explore town too much so I relied on Google Maps to tell me where to go. I wasted no time in squeezing past people- Magnolia was a bustling city after all- and eventually made it to the shop.

I stood outside, catching my breath. Even after the contest, I wasn't too good at running. The smell of oil hit me like a brick even though I wasn't in the building yet. Swallowing my nerves, I headed inside.

I was momentarily amazed by all of the cars lined up. Most of them had their parts missing, parts that I couldn't name. I knew next to nothing about automobiles other than the fact that they were fast and convenient. How they worked, I had no idea. Which just proved that intelligence wasn't something that could be measured. Everyone in school other than Levy believed that I was smarter than them. But if Gajeel knows all of these things about cars while I don't, shouldn't that mean something?

 _"Maybe I can compliment him on his work and that'll make him more willing to forgive me."_

At the front desk, which was small and only had a few papers on it, sat a young man who was looking at me like I didn't belong. Which I supposed was true. Ignoring this nuance, I went to the receptionist and greeted him with a smile.

"Hi, I was wondering if Gajeel is working today," I stated, though I already knew he was.

"Uhh, yeah. He's working today. You his girlfriend or something? I thought the blue-haired chick was his girlfriend," he replied.

"Oh no, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm just a friend."

Though I could only hope he considered us still friends.

The boy nodded and stood from his chair, beckoning me to follow him. I obliged and made sure to keep up as he led the way through the large, concrete room. There was dangerous machinery all around and since I wasn't given any protective gear, I made sure to keep a safe distance. And finally, we stopped at a seemingly fine black car- I couldn't name it.

"Gajeel, there's someone here to see you," the receptionist stated.

I glanced around, trying to find Gajeel while my hands formed tight fists because of how nervous I was. I didn't see the bulky teen anywhere, however.

"Huh? Who is it?" Gajeel's ruff voice questioned. I followed the voice's trail and found two boot-covered feet hanging out from underneath the black car.

"I don't know, some blonde chick."

Ignoring the receptionist's mildly rude remark, I chimed in, "It's me, Gajeel. I was hoping we could talk." I was admittedly surprised I didn't stumble with my words.

The receptionist left, apparently not interested in our conversation. Time ticked forward slowly as neither of us said anything, I stood awkwardly while he was still under the car. I knew he wasn't tinkering with things anymore since it was silent. Unbearably silent, actually.

"Get out of here," Gajeel finally ordered, giving me some relief even though his words weren't exactly laced with kindness.

"No," I replied, biting my lower lip. "You get out of there."

Admittedly, Gajeel and I weren't the closest pair in our group. In fact, chances were that we were only friends because I was best friends with Levy and he was her boyfriend. Still, even though I didn't know too much about him, I knew enough to know that he didn't like taking orders.

"Shut the hell up and leave already, Bunny Girl," he tried again, his voice growing impatient.

"No," I repeated. "We need to talk."

"Then say whatever the hell it is you want to say and leave me alone."

Figuring that was the closest I was going to get, I nodded and bowed, though he didn't see.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel," I stated, screwing my eyes tightly shut. "I know what I did was terrible. Being drunk doesn't change the fact that I hurt you and I'm very sorry. If I could take it back then I would. I deserved the article in the school's paper and I deserve you being mean to me. I'm really sorry."

I could feel tears stinging my eyes as I clamped my teeth over my bottom lip. Even though Gajeel and I weren't the closest, I still considered him a dear friend of mine and it pained me to know that I hurt him. It felt terrible knowing that I could lose our friendship altogether, and friendship was something I treasured seeing as how I wasn't able to make many friends until recently.

The silence that surrounded us was killing me. We were in an auto shop, shouldn't there be machines going off or something? Just any sound would relieve me some of my nerves. And to my surprise, Gajeel responded just in time.

With a scoff he stated, "Ehh, whatever. I guess I ain't too mad at you."

"W-What?" I asked with wide eyes, my body going numb with shock.

"It's true that if you kept your damn mouth shut, this wouldn't be happening right now. So yeah I took it out on you. But it ain't your fault."

"What are you-"

"This would've happened eventually. Levy would've gotten impatient and forced it out of me at some point or she would find some record somewhere, that's just how she is. The damn shrimp has to know everything. You were just the easiest to blame. Salamander shouldn't have told you anything in the first place."

"So… You really aren't mad at me?"

"Nah. I was just waiting for an apology. Took you long enough. And I guess I'm a little sorry for the paper thing. Not too much though."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll take that as an apology. Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel replied, obviously not used to these kinds of talks. "Hurry up and get out of here before you start smelling like oil. It would probably give your old man a heart attack if you came home and stared smelling like manual labor."

I nodded but stayed where I was. "Before I go, I think you should know that you and Levy-chan need to talk."

"You're pushing it, Bunny-"

"Hear me out. I don't know what's going through Levy-chan's mind right now, but every day that you two don't speak just fills her head with more ideas. And I'm sure that you have some things you want to get off your chest."

"They ain't good things."

"Well bad things are better than nothing. I know she's worried about you because you haven't really been to school. Don't you think that means she still cares about you? And if you still care about her, you'll relieve her of some of that worry. Yell if you have to, but at least you'll be talking."

"Whatever."

I sighed, knowing that I wasn't going to get much more out of Gajeel. He was stubborn, maybe the most stubborn out of all of us. "Alright, fine. You don't have to talk to her yet if you don't want to. But at least come to school." I started walking away but stopped in my tracks as I had one last thing to say. "And go home, Gajeel. You have someone that is worried sick about you waiting for you to come back."

With that, I left the shop, hoping that I got through to Gajeel more than he let on. Either way, things between us were mended with an apology. It was easier than I expected. It was too bad it wouldn't be the same for Natsu and Levy.

 **AN:** I love Lucy/Gajeel brotp haha. I wish they would show it more in the manga! The Gajevy drama is almost over, I promise. I was gonna have it last a little longer but I just couldn't torture them anymore. :') Anyways, hope you liked the chapter! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Well then hopefully you'll like the arcade date. :D And yes, Gajeel definitely isn't done with Natsu yet. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** I think they deserved it haha! :D Tit for tat, you know? :D But at least Gajeel and Lucy made up. :')

 **00nighthowler00:** Well at least there was Gruvia action! :D And Gajevy will be fixed very soon. :')

 **IndianaCombs:** Though you didn't get his POV yet, you got to see what Gajeel's been up to! :D And yeah, BNHA has gotten really popular out of nowhere! I actually like it, but I'm not a big fan of the main character lol. I think he's a little too cliché of a hero lmao.

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** I think Gajeel is slowly coming to terms. All that's left is for them to talk it out! :')

 **MuffinMalonez:** Wow haha I didn't think anyone was going to predict it before it happened haha! Good job! :D And with this story, there honestly isn't a real average. The word count is seriously scattered in this story but the chapters are definitely longer! So I would say the average is 5k!

 **Lunahartz:** Haha yes, definitely! But it looks like some time away and working with what he likes is doing him some good! Hope you're doing well, sis. :)

 **Woundedninja:** Ahh honestly I don't really know! I think I wanted to have him kinda revert back to how his was when he was with Phantom Lord. In the anime when he was still with them, he was always yelling and he was brash and so I kinda wanted to have him like that a little bit! :D

 **Nalulove:** Oh yeah, the week is definitely not one of Gajeel's best lmao.

 **Biyiksizkedi:** Ahh thank you so much! :D And oh yeah, the POV change is definitely confusing lmao. I definitely will not write another story like this because of how hard it is to keep track of things and to schedule them haha! I think sticking with a third person POV is a better choice for me but this story was a good experiment. :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha well he's almost done being a jerk! :D


	32. Chapter 32

**AN:** You guys are gonna love this chapter. :')

Chapter 32

 _Lucy P.O.V. (Wednesday)_

I sighed as I picked up my phone that morning after waking up, scrolling through the hundreds of texts Natsu sent. Usually there was a bit more variety in my messages, especially from Levy, but with all of the drama in her life at the moment, I could understand why she didn't text me. So, I read through the messages from Natsu, most of which asking where I am or what I was doing. There were also a lot of the rolling-eyes emoji.

After getting home from my conversation with Gajeel, my father and I had a nice time watching a movie together. Though in reality, we spent most of the time talking instead of watching. If someone were to ask me what happened at the end of the movie, I wouldn't have been able to answer. Still, I enjoyed the chat with Papa. Catching up with each other about our days was fun in its own ways and allowed me to see the progress he's made.

After that, I immediately started my homework. Since I skipped tutoring, I had to do it later. And once that was finished, it was time for my bath. And like always, after a long, relaxing bath, I got tired and headed in for the night. I suppose I could've sent a quick text to Natsu beforehand but it slipped my mind.

"Do you have to spam my phone every morning?" I texted bitterly. I loved the guy, but waking up to hundreds of texts was annoying.

"FINALLYYYY!" Natsu replied within seconds. I didn't even get to see the symbol that indicated he was replying. "I thought I was going to have to climb through your window or something to see if you were okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, idiot. I was just really busy yesterday."

"With what?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later."

"Fine. Hurry up then."

With a sigh of relief, I tucked my phone into my blazer's pocket and headed downstairs. With a quick goodbye to my father, I was off to school.

Entering the classroom, I found that only Gray, Juvia, Erza, and Jellal were there so far. Usually Levy was the first one in the classroom.

" _Is she going to start skipping now too?"_ I wondered, concerned for my best friend.

"Good morning, Lucy," Erza greeted.

"Morning, everyone!" I replied in a cheerful matter.

"You seem to be feeling better today," Gray noted. "Anything happen?"

"I guess you could say that."

To my upmost relief, Levy entered the room, giving us a weak smile. Her face was getting paler and paler each day, I didn't know what to do. Maybe giving her space wasn't the right course of action. But it wasn't like talking was helping either.

"Good morning, Levy," Erza greeted, studying our blunette friend's features. I wasn't the only one to see how stressed she clearly was.

"Good morning," Levy replied, taking her seat.

I frowned.

" _That's it. These two need to talk already! I can't keep watching Levy-chan go on like this!"_

Before I could actually start plotting, however, Natsu ungracefully entered the room, his trademark grin plastered to his face the moment we made eye-contact. A swarm of butterflies fluttered around in my belly as his obsidian eyes peered into my own. The warmth that I had gotten used to since meeting Natsu erupted in the pit of my stomach and coursed through my veins like fire.

" _How am I supposed to help Levy-chan with her love life when I don't even know how to deal with my own?"_

Natsu took eager steps towards me and my heart sped up with each one. Before I met Natsu, I would occasionally daydream about celebrity males that were superficially attractive with brown hair and bright blue eyes. I never imagined I would fall so hard for a boy with pink, unruly hair and eyes darker than the depths of an ocean.

This was so much better.

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed as he plopped into the seat behind mine, which was where he always sat before class and during lunch.

I turned in my chair and smiled at him. "Hi, Natsu."

"Care to tell me what was so important that you had to bail our arcade date?"

My eyes darted towards Levy as I answered anxiously, "I went to go see-"

"Oi, Gajeel!" Gray interrupted.

I winced hearing a sharp gasp coming from beside me where Levy was sitting. Recovering quickly, I grinned as I turned to face Gajeel. Sure enough, the bulky teen was standing at the entrance of the classroom, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his gaze glued to the floor.

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia exclaimed, rushing over to her friend and tackling him in a tight hug.

The boy nearly fell backwards as he tried to pry Juvia off of him. "Oi! Get off already, Juvia!"

"But Juvia is so glad Gajeel-kun is back! Juvia was so worried!"

"Ain't nothin' to be worried about. I've just been working."

Natsu's eyes immediately narrowed and I could see the anger that was swarming in them. His hands formed tight fists and he looked about ready to throttle Gajeel. It didn't take a genius to tell he was angry, probably for the rumor business. Which still hadn't cleared up yet, by the way.

Before Natsu could make any sudden movements, I placed my hand on his shoulder to keep him in his seat.

"What the hell is Metal Mouth doing back here?" Natsu gritted out. "Looks like he finally came here to let me bash his head in the wall!"

"Stop it, Natsu!" I replied. "I told him to come back!"

"You did?" Levy questioned, her eyes never leaving me.

"Y-Yeah. I went to apologize to him after school. H-He shouldn't miss too much school, you know?"

Levy nodded and slowly turned her head to stare at Gajeel. I watched as their eyes made contact for a split second before they both turned away, Gajeel talking to Juvia and Gray while Levy stared out the window. I bit my lower lip anxiously. What if I upset her? What if she didn't want Gajeel back here?

No, it didn't matter. This was the right thing to do. Levy may've been my best friend but Gajeel was my friend too. I couldn't just let him screw up everything he had tried so hard for. Whether Levy liked it or not, Gajeel was here to stay.

* * *

After school, Natsu and I decided to walk back to my place instead of having Capricorn pick us up. It took a bit of convincing on my part since Capricorn believed there were great dangers of walking home. How paranoid could he be?

We walked along the river, closer than usual. I told myself that it was simply because I needed his warmth to combat the winter's chill but I knew it was a lie. In truth I just wanted to be closer to Natsu, so I indulged myself, all the while wondering if he remotely felt the same.

Even being next to Natsu, however, I was still shivering. My teeth chattered as I rubbed my hands profusely over my arms in an attempt to warm them up. It was futile though considering my hands were in worse shape than my arms.

"Sheesh, why does it have to be so cold!?" I complained. Cupping my hands around my face, I exhaled warm air onto them.

"I don't know, maybe because it's winter," Natsu sarcastically replied with a heavy smirk. His hands were crossed behind his head as if he was unbothered by the frigid temperature. Which in truth, he probably was.

"Don't get sassy with me!"

"Then don't ask stupid questions!"

We stopped in our tracks to glare at each other momentarily before continuing our walk.

"You know," I began, "we should walk faster so that we can warm up." I glanced towards Natsu to find out his opinion on the matter, only to see a small frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

Natsu turned his head and answered, "Nothing, really. It's just that we haven't spent time alone together in a while. Being at your house is fun and all but we don't really get to hang out much anymore. I wanna be alone with you for a little longer."

My face was practically set ablaze and I hastily brought my gaze to the ground. " _How can he say things like that so casually?"_ I glanced at his hands, which were now dangling by his side. Swallowing thickly, I mustered up whatever courage I could. It wasn't enough to look into his eyes but it was enough for something else.

"W-Well I'm cold," I stammered. Though honestly, I didn't even notice the cold due to how my body felt like a volcano erupted within it. "I-If you want to hang out alone for a while longer, y-you'll have to warm me up."

"Warm you up?" Natsu repeated. I couldn't see his reaction since I didn't dare to look up at him.

With a nod, I answered, "Y-Yeah. M-My hands are really cold…"

We stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, though in reality it was only a few seconds. Then, to my upmost surprise, Natsu followed along with what I was hinting at and grabbed my hands. His warm hands encompassed my tinier ones, giving them the heat I claimed I didn't have. Finally peeking at him through my lashes, I nearly gasped seeing how serious he looked. Usually he was carefree and reckless. Now… Now it looked as though he might've actually felt the same.

His eyes were unreadable and his lips were set in a straight line, but the way he stared at me caused a fire to light inside of me. Just the simple contact of my hands within him was enough to ignite my skin.

What Natsu did next left my mouth hanging open. He brought my hands towards his mouth, dangerously close to his lips. A shiver ran through my body as his lips grazed my knuckles. His eyes never left mine as he started breathing warm air onto my hands.

My senses were on overdrive and my brain was short-circuiting. All of the emotions I kept pent up were bubbling and rising to the surface. His eyes were drilling into me and soon enough, all rational thought left my mind and I moved solely based on my desires.

Standing on the tips of my toes, I crashed my lips against his, squishing our closed hands between our bodies. It wasn't anything too long. Instead, it only lasted barely over a second and was a simple peck. Still, it held enough passion to clearly show what I felt. And that was, in simple terms, that I was in love with Natsu Dragneel.

As I pulled away from the kiss, my senses came back to me and I realized what I did. Complete shock and terror washed over me and tears pricked my eyes at the thought of what would come. Natsu's eyes were the size of golf balls and his mouth was parted as he stared at me in bewilderment.

"I-I'm so sorry!" I shouted, bowing so that he couldn't see my face. I wanted to burst into tears at that moment, I was so embarrassed. I was _mortified._ "I-I don't know what came over me!"

That seemed to snap Natsu out of his astonishment as he replied, "D-Don't worry about it, weirdo. L-Let's just get back to your place, alright?"

I nodded, straightening myself but not meeting his gaze. I couldn't. Not after that.

So, we walked in silence for a few minutes while I mentally cursed myself. My eyes stung with oncoming tears. It was then that I felt Natsu's warm hand gently sliding against my own and intertwining with my fingers. I glanced towards him, my eyes wide. His head was turned but I could see a blush working over his cheeks.

"W-What are you doing?" I asked breathily.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he rhetorically asked in return. "I'm warming up your hands. Now let's go already."

I nodded, my gaze falling back to the front. A huge smile settled over my face as my insides turned to goo.

 _"Maybe this isn't as unrequited as I thought."_

* * *

 _Jellal P.O.V._

After school, Erza and I headed back to her house. I was going to have dinner with her family again. Our hands stayed interlocked the entire time, my lips forming a content smile. Things with Erza were calming, not too erratic like our friends' relationships.

"Hello, Jellal!" Grandeeney greeted with a caring smile. I could not sense any hidden malice behind her grin so I assumed the woman truly wanted to get to know me more. "I'm glad you're able to join us for dinner again!"

"Thank you for inviting me," I replied. "Did you need any help with the cooking?"

"No, no! Thank you for the offer, though. Why don't you two just relax, maybe get your homework done now so that you don't have to rush and do it later tonight?"

"That sounds wise."

"Make sure to leave the door open, Erza. Can't let you two lovebirds get carried away!"

Erza and I blanched at the woman, our faces turning a bright shade of crimson. She led me to her room and just as she promised, she didn't close the door behind her.

"Sorry about that," Erza stated, her face still an amusing red.

"Don't be," I replied, smiling at her. "Shall we do our homework?"

Erza nodded and sat at Wendy's desk, allowing me to use her own. We sat in a content silence, diligently doing the work that was given to us, which was more than the other students considering we were also in the student council. I chuckled softly when I heard Grandeeney's footsteps by the door. Though the woman tried to be discreet, it wasn't hard to notice that she was walking by every ten minutes to make sure that Erza and I weren't doing anything inappropriate.

An hour passed and I heard the front door open, followed by a bubbly greeting. Seconds later, Wendy came into the room, giving a bright smile. The girl was like a pocket-sized ball of sunshine, spreading happiness wherever she went. It was no wonder Erza was so fond and protective of her.

"Oh. Hello, Jellal!" Wendy greeted with a small wave. She put her backpack on her bed and walked back towards Erza at her desk. "You guys are doing homework?"

"Yes," Erza answered. "We're passing time until dinner is ready. Would you like to join us?"

"I don't want to be a bother…"

"You aren't a bother," I assured her. "Here, you can take this desk. I'll work on the floor."

"Are you sure? Why not the bed?"

"T-The floor is easier to work on," I lied, my cheeks turning pink. In truth, just the thought of being on Erza's bed made my heartbeat sporadic. It was best to take things one at a time, especially with her mother checking up on us.

Wendy nodded gratefully and took Erza's desk since it would have been too much of a hassle to have Erza pack her things and go to her own desk. We worked in silence for half an hour before I finally finished my homework.

"You finished already?" Erza questioned with wide eyes.

I chuckled and answered, "Yes. Though I don't make sure everything is perfect like you do."

Erza blushed and looked back at her homework, causing me to chuckle again. I glanced towards Wendy, noticing that her hands were fisted in her locks of blue hair and her eyes were scrunched closed, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in thought. Then, her body relaxed instantly and she laid her head on the desk with a heavy sigh.

"This is hard," she complained. "I just can't figure out this one function." The child lifted her head and shyly glanced at me. "Jellal? Do you think you can help me with this?"

My stomach churned, surprised that someone would ask me for help. Though, Wendy had no reason not to. She didn't know my past and that was why she was so fearless of being close to me. I nodded and stood beside her at the desk, peering at her work. Everything was so neat and tidy, she was just like Erza.

"Which one do you need help with?" I inquired.

Wendy pointed at the notebook paper where there was one problem that was scratched out and redone many times. Most math classes didn't grade according to if you got the question right or not, they simply graded for participation. But again, the girl was just like her older sister, though they weren't related by blood. Everything had to be right.

The function was fairly simple to me and so I recognized where her mistakes were. Explaining it wasn't hard either and within minutes, Wendy was able to figure things out and get the question right.

"Thank you, Jellal!" the child exclaimed.

I nodded with a smile and sat back down on the floor. It felt nice being able to help and I felt like I was growing more comfortable with Erza's family.

The rest of the day went by in a content blur. Dinner was delicious and the conversations flowed more easily than last time. Grandeeney didn't ask me as many questions that I couldn't answer, for which I was grateful. Before I knew it, I was bidding Grandeeney and Wendy farewell as Erza led me out the front door. After she closed the door behind her, we smiled at each other.

"I had a great time," I stated, my eyes locked onto hers.

"I'm glad," she replied. Glancing behind her to make sure nobody was watching, she took a step towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "My family likes you."

"Well that is probably because they do not know my past yet."

Erza frowned and broke our eye-contact, immediately alerting me that something was wrong.

"About that," she began, "I-I told both of them…"

"You _what?"_ I asked, pulling away from her hold. I wasn't ready for her family to know that much about me. To know all of the things that I've done. She knew that and yet she told them anyways. "Why?"

Erza gazed at me with desperate eyes as she explained, "Grandeeney adopted me, took care of me, and loved me. I couldn't keep a big secret like that away from her. And I couldn't keep it away from Wendy either. Please understand."

I sighed. In reality, I would never fully understand simply because I never had anyone to do those things for me. Well, save for the love part. But I didn't have a family that Erza spoke of. However, I could understand wanting to be honest with someone you loved. I couldn't blame her for that.

"It's alright," I replied, noticing the way Erza's shoulders relaxed in relief. "I don't want us to be fighting like Gajeel and Levy. I am fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I suppose I was just a bit surprised, is all."

"I'll make sure not to blind side you next time."

I chuckled, glad that things didn't get messy between us. Then I realized that despite knowing my past, both Wendy and Grandeeney treated me the same. Perhaps… Perhaps my past was something I didn't have to worry about anymore. I was given a second chance, I had to start acting like it.

Knowing that it was getting late, I placed my hands on Erza's hips and leaned in for a kiss. Our lips brushed together, holding the amount of desire that we couldn't act on before. Erza snaked her arms around my neck and cocked her head to the side, allowing the kiss to deepen. She, being the more adventurous one, licked my lips and squeezed her tongue through. Everything tasted sweet and I wanted to taste even more, but I knew we had to stop.

Pulling away, we panted and wiped our mouths of the excess saliva and smiled at each other shyly. Hopefully there would be a time soon when we could truly act on our cravings, but until then, I would wait patiently.

"Goodnight, Jellal," Erza said, her voice wispy and alluring.

"Goodnight, Erza."

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

After our tutoring session, Lucy led me to the front door. Her face was red the entire time and it still hadn't let up. Still, she wasn't as shy and awkward as I expected her to be. Usually just the slightest thing would get her all embarrassed and now that we kissed, she still smiled at me. What a weirdo.

"Bye, Natsu," Lucy said with a wave.

"Later!" I replied, walking away.

Since our kiss, we didn't do anything romantic whatsoever. Well, we held hands. I guess that's romantic. We didn't talk about the kiss at all and it was because I had a plan. Stupid Lucy just had to go and kiss me before.

I grinned remembering the kiss. I didn't kiss back but even then it still felt better than anything I ever imagined. All the cliché stuff in the romantic movies Lucy watched, they all happened. It was such a weird feeling, I wanted to do it again.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to stop thinking about that stuff. Great as it was, I had something to do at the moment, and that was to beat the living hell out of Lug Nuts. Even though Lucy forgave him, I sure as hell didn't. Do you know how many people asked me about Lucy's relationship status and how I felt about it? Too many.

The walk took longer than I expected. Leave it to Lucy to live on the complete opposite side of Magnolia than everyone else. Still, it beat getting a ride from Caprisun.

When I got to the apartment, I knocked twice on the metallic door. I barged in once years ago and was beaten to a pulp by Belno. Turns out she didn't like people barging into her place unannounced.

The door opened and Belno scowled at me.

"Are you here to eat more of my food?" she asked. "This isn't a restaurant, boy."

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, shrugging her off. "I'm here to talk to Lug Nuts. Where is that bastard?"

Belno sighed. "He just came back here last night. Try to keep the fighting to a minimum. I'm going to bed now. Wake me up and I'll destroy both of you."

I gulped but came in anyways. Gajeel deserved a good beat down and I was going to give it to him. Without knocking, I barged into his room. His hearing was as good as mine, so it wasn't surprising that he expected me to come in.

Gajeel was working at his desk, doing something with two pieces of metal. I didn't know anything about metal design so I couldn't name it. Hell, for all I knew he could be eating it. Wouldn't be the first time I caught him eating metal.

"What do you want, Salamander?" Gajeel asked, his voice low and threatening.

"I came here to beat some sense into you," I answered, cracking my knuckles.

"Save it. I'm already back to school and back home thanks to Bunny Girl. She already talked some sense into me."

"Well you still need a beat down thanks to that stunt you pulled."

Gajeel rose from his chair, his muscles flexing. I didn't let it intimidate me, though. Gajeel may've been physically stronger than us, but I was way faster and more flexible. All of our fights ending in draws, but I came to win this time. For Lucy.

I lunged towards him, ready to give him a piece of my mind through my fists, when I saw deep hatred flash through his eyes. Before I knew it, his fist made contact with my cheek, sending my backwards. Usually when we fought, we held back, despite what others thought. But that punch was merciless.

I wiped a hand down my cheek, not surprised that blood was already dripping out of my mouth. I was still fired up, though. One punch wasn't going to be enough to bring me down. I dodged another punch of his and delivered one of my own into his gut.

"How the hell could you do that to Lucy!?" I asked. "You knew I like her! Do you know how many people came up to me, asking about her mystery boyfriend!?"

Gajeel uppercut me and shot back, "How the hell could you tell Lucy about my past!?"

We stood a few feet away from each other, already panting. I had a feeling it was because of our emotions though instead of our fight.

"I didn't know that she would get drunk and blab it out!" I shouted, going in for another attack.

Gajeel blocked and kicked me in the gut. "It doesn't matter what you thought, Natsu! I trusted you with that and you went and told your girlfriend, who just so happens to be my girlfriend's best friend! Oh right, thanks to you, Levy and I probably aren't even together anymore!"

I paused my attacks, suddenly losing my determination. Alright, the guy had some good points. This _may_ have been my fault.

Gajeel rushed towards me, faster than I expected. He punched me straight in the jaw, sending me to the floor. "Do you know all the shit I could tell Lucy about you that you wouldn't like? I kept my mouth shut though because it wasn't my shit to talk about! You just went and ruined everything for me! I thought I could trust you!"

I slowly sat up with my legs crossed. Fine. This was definitely my fault. Regardless what happened afterwards, I shouldn't have told Lucy in the first place.

"Alright, alright. I hear ya," I said, rubbing my jaw. "I fucked up, alright?"

"Damn right you did," Gajeel replied, crossing his arms. "You deserved the shit you got."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry for all of this."

"Took you long enough. Lucy apologized first but it was really your fault."

"Don't have to go rubbing it in!"

"Yeah I do," Gajeel said. Then out of nowhere, he punched me again. I couldn't even sit up after it. "And looks like I'm the first winner of our fights! Gihi!"

I wanted to argue but I let him have the win. It was the least I could do. I stared at the ceiling, feeling better. I came here with the intention of kicking Gajeel's ass, but in the end we made up. I guess that's good too. All that was left was…

"What are you going to do about Levy?" I asked. The vibe changed real quick. The air was tense and heavy.

Gajeel shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't know yet. I ain't apologizing though."

"But won't that make her forgive you?"

"Doesn't matter. I didn't do anything wrong. Would you want Bunny Girl apologizing to you even though she didn't do anything wrong?"

"No, I wouldn't. Why don't you just talk to her then?"

Gajeel clenched his fists and answered, "Because I don't want to hear what she has to say. She's just gonna break up with me and tell me how terrible I was. I ain't ready to hear it."

"You really think Levy is like that?" I asked, not believing it.

"Why else hasn't she tried talking to me? If she didn't feel like that, she would've at least sent a text or something. Even Bunny Girl came to see me before she did."

"Maybe she's waiting for you to try talking to her. You don't have to apologize but you could at least talk to her. She's a mess."

Gajeel seemed to think about it before he scoffed. "Whatever. I don't need relationship advice from a wimp who's too scared to ask out the girl who obviously feels the same."

I laughed and replied, "Guess not. Let me kick your ass at Call of Duty now."

"You wish."

So, after five days of not talking to each other, things seemed alright. All that was left was Levy.

 **AN:** LOTS of gajevy next chapter! As promised, the drama is dying down :') After that we have a lot of fluff ahead of us. :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Glad you liked it. :') And yes Gruvia is so pure their ship is sailing smoothly! :'D

 **Vilchen:** HOLY CRAP THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! Seriously, most people don't even review a story they read late and if they do they usually only review the latest chapter. Your review made my week. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Ahh me too! I wish it was in the manga more. :')

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Yeah I definitely won't discontinue. :) There may be days where I can't update but I will finish this story! :D Thank you for the review. :)

 **Nalulove:** Yep! It'll be over next chapter. :')

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much for the review I'm glad you liked it! :D

 **IndianaCombs:** Yeah BNHA is pretty good. Not nearly as good as Fairy Tail but the characters are very unique I like it! :D

 **Lunahartz:** I've been doing okay. School is really kicking my ass though. :')


	33. Chapter 33

**AN:** I didn't expect this story to be this long lol.

Chapter 33

 _Natsu P.O.V. (Thursday)_

The next morning, Gajeel and I walked to school together. After making up last night, Belno ended up kicking us out because we were too loud. And that was _after_ she gave us a few bruises as a reminder not to get on her bad side. So, Gajeel ended up spending the night at my place and we pulled an all nighter.

"Can't believe I have to be seen walking to school with you," Gajeel said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You're seen with me all the time!" I shouted. "Quit dragging your feet so we can get there already!"

"What? Wanna see Bunny Girl?"

I could feel my cheeks warming up so I ducked into my scarf. There was no way in hell I was going to let Gajeel see me blushing.

"No way," I lied.

Luckily, we walked the rest of the way without saying anything. It didn't take long until we were finally at school. Wow. A few months ago, I would've hated coming to school. It was long and boring, who didn't hate it? But now that I knew Lucy, I couldn't help but want to get there faster, knowing that she was going to be there waiting for me.

As expected, Lucy was in her seat already when we got to the classroom. When she noticed me walking towards her, her face turned a bright red. I may not have been as smart as Levy, but I didn't need to be in order to know why she was blushing. I smirked, proud that I was the reason she was acting that way.

"M-Morning, Natsu!" she said, her voice all high-pitched and squeaky.

I laughed and replied, "Yo, Lucy!" Not wanting to let our friends find out what happened between us yesterday, I didn't comment on her red cheeks and instead ignored them.

I took that time to glance at Gajeel. He sat in his usual morning seat by Levy, but it was scooted away. Neither of them looked at each other. Levy kept reading while he decided to talk to Juvia instead.

" _Looks like he isn't taking my advice."_

Sighing, I looked back at Lucy. She was playing with the ends of her hair, a clear sign I picked up when we first started talking that she was nervous. I grinned.

 _"This is gonna be fun!"_

When Gildarts came into the room, the rest of the guys and I went back to the opposite corner of the room to our assigned seats. To start off class, he handed back everyone's quizzes from a few days ago. Passing by my desk, he put my test face-down and I cringed. That was the universal sign that I failed. But then he smiled and nodded at me.

Wanting to get it over with, I flipped it over quickly, expecting every problem to be covered in red ink. Not finding any, I buried my head in my hands.

" _I failed so badly that he didn't even bother checking things off."_

Feeling my test snatched from underneath me, I lifted my head to find Gray holding it.

"What did you get? Must be bad since your brain is fried to ashes," he said with an annoying smirk. The jerk thought he was funny. " _He won't be laughing when I pour blonde dye in his shampoo later."_

"What the hell!?" I heard Gray shout. "You got one hundred percent!?"

My eyes widened as I snatched the paper from the stripper's hand. There was no way that I got one hundred percent. Not once had I ever gotten that high of a score, even in my best subject. But it was true. My quiz was mistake-free.

"YOSH!" I shouted, raising a fist in the air. "Look who's smarter now, Ice Prick!"

Gray scoffed and replied, "Don't get so cocky, Fire Lizard. You beat me one time."

Ignoring his pathetic attempt at a comeback, I turned my head to see if Lucy was looking at me. I nearly burst with laughter seeing her try to look away and pretend she wasn't completely staring at me. When she finally looked back, I held up my quiz and gave a thumbs up.

Lucy smiled and held her quiz up. She got one hundred percent too. Part of me was bummed out because I wanted to tease her about getting a higher grade, but the other part of me was happy for her. She was easily stressed out about things like grades. With this, she could relax a little.

The rest of school was boring and I was glad to finally get out and head over to Lucy's house for tutoring. Because _that_ was when it got interesting.

* * *

 _Gajeel P.O.V._

Once the last bell of the day rang, I packed my things and glanced towards Levy. She was practically throwin' everything like a sack of potatoes into her backpack. Then she started heading for the door without sparing me a glance. After all that happened, I wasn't even worth that much?

" _That's it. No more of this."_

I rushed after her, pushing people out of my way. Jason walked beside me, asking me questions about Juvia's relationship with Gray. Keeping things short and sweet, I punched him in the face and went on my way. I already got into enough trouble with that bastard. I learned my lesson.

Outside of the school, I finally found her. There were a bunch of girls at our school with blue hair- hell, three people in our group alone had blue hair- but only one of them were as short as Levy. And their bags didn't look like a turtle shell because of how packed it was.

Catching up with Levy, I grabbed her wrist and forced her to turn around. Her brown eyes were huge as she stared at me in shock. I guess it was surprising since we didn't have a real conversation in nearly a week.

"We need to talk," I said, straight to the point.

I was surprised that she nodded and averted her gaze. For some reason, I was expecting her to put up a fight. Turned out she really was waiting for me to make a move.

We started walking towards my place, walking as far away from each other as we could. Neither of us said anything. It was tense and awkward as hell. Just how the hell did we end up like this?

With my hands shoved in my pockets and my eyes staring at the ground, I thought about what was going to happen to us. Hell, even though I told her we needed to talk, I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to say. I wasn't going to apologize, so that option was out. Was there even a way to fix things without swallowing my pride and apologizing?

A sudden clanking noise brought me out of my thoughts and I stared down the tight alley we were passing by. A lid to a metal trash bin that was now fallen over was rolling on its side until it eventually ran out of momentum. I was about to keep walking before I saw something move in the trash. It blended in perfectly with the black trash bags, but I knew what I saw. A black tail swished from inside of the trash bin.

"Gajeel?" Levy called out with a weak voice.

"There's something in there," I told her. "I think it's a cat."

"In the trash can?"

I nodded and walked towards the trash can. The animal stopped moving when it heard me approach. Crouching by it, I looked into the bin and saw that it actually was a cat. A black cat with a scar over its eye and white fur surrounding its mouth. I quickly found out that it was a male cat, who just so happened to have rounded ears.

Now, most people that look at me may think that I'm some big, badass. Because I totally am, no doubt about it. But what most people didn't know about me was that I had a spot in my heart for cute things. And those that did know, knew not to laugh about it unless they wanted their heads bashed into a wall. And this cat was definitely cute. Way cuter than Salamander's freaky blue cat.

I held a hand into the bin, hoping that the cat didn't scratch me. He looked at me with caution before taking slow steps towards me, probably scared that I was going to hit it or something. When he reached my hand, he sniffed it before rubbing his head against me. And with that, I knew this cat just had to be my pet.

"He likes you," Levy said, crouching next to me. The cat jumped away from her and hid behind me.

"Looks like he doesn't like you. Gihi," I laughed. Without even knowing it, this cat made things somewhat less awkward with Levy. I was beyond grateful for that. "I'm going to keep him."

"You are?" she asked. "What if someone already owns him?"

"If they did then they're pretty shitty owners. It's obvious he hasn't been fed in a while. And check out that scar. He doesn't have a collar, he's probably a stray."

I picked up the cat and we started walking back to my place again. Luckily, there was a pet store on the way so we can drop by and get food. I could get the other essentials later. For now, the little guy needed some food.

During our walk, the cat eventually got used to Levy and let her pet him. He wasn't as friendly with her as he was with me, but it was close enough. I carried the cat and the food while she would pet him. Things were nice.

"What are you going to name him?" Levy asked, petting the cat behind his ear.

I took one glance at him before grinning. "It has to be something tough and cool like he is. I'm gonna name him Panther."

Levy frowned. "Panther?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Well nothing, really. But he isn't just a tough cat. He's also really cute! I think you should name him Lily!"

"Lily? No way! That's too girly!"

"Alright, then how about _Panther Lily?_ I think that sounds cool!"

"Panther Lily…" The name sounded surprisingly cool. I grinned, saying it again. "Panther Lily. Not bad, Shrimp."

Levy smiled and for the first time in a while, it seemed genuine. Her eyes were still puffy and they bags under her eyes were still there, but she smiled. That was progress. And it was all thanks to Panther Lily.

After dropping by the pet store and picking up some food, we were finally reaching my apartment. I was glad Belno wasn't there. She would've beat me senseless if she saw that I brought home a stray cat.

Grabbing a bowl from the kitchen, I filled it with cat food and put it on the floor. Panther Lily started to practically inhale it. Finally, it was time to get down to business. Levy seemed to know too by the way she frowned and looked away from me.

"I guess it's time to start, huh?" she asked.

"Guess so," I anwered.

We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. This was our first fight and it wasn't over something stupid like where to eat. It was a real fight and it wasn't something we knew how to deal with.

Knowing that she wasn't going to talk first, I manned up to the task.

"You look like hell," I said bluntly. It wasn't exactly nice or anything, but it was true.

Levy sighed. "Gee, thanks."

Ignoring her sarcasm, I asked, "Have you been getting some sleep?"

"I guess not… A lot of things have been on my mind…"

"…Wanna talk about it?"

I wasn't the best at comforting people. It was way too awkward. But this was Levy. She was the girl that I was falling for more and more each day, even when we were fighting. Seeing her upset made me upset and I had to do something about it.

Levy finally looked at me and nodded. "I guess… Gajeel… Are we… Are we still together?"

Now it was my turn to look away. What the hell was I supposed to say to that? Of course I wanted to say yes, but how the hell was I supposed to know?

"Depends on what you want," I answered, leaving it to her. If it were up to me, then yeah I would want to stay together. But Levy was the one with the problem. She was the one upset with my past so everything was up to her.

"I thought you would say that," she replied, hugging herself. "Do you… Do you still want to?"

I felt my cheeks warming up as I nodded. It was embarrassing to show all of this weakness. Levy frowned and I saw her eyes tearing up. Well, that was a bad sign.

" _Here it comes. She's breaking up with me."_

"I do too," she said instead. Tears slid down her face and she brought her hands up to wipe them away. But they just kept coming.

"Well then why are you crying?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended.

Her voice cracked as she answered, "Because I'm a terrible girlfriend! I kept trying to force you to tell me instead of waiting for you to be more comfortable with me!"

"Well as long as you understand now then it doesn't really matter-"

"But that's the thing! I am still a little mad at you! I can't help it… What if that secret put my life at risk? I know that gangs don't just let people leave! Shouldn't I have known about that?"

"I-I guess…" I replied. I hadn't really thought about that. It's true that after I left Phantom Lord, they kept trying to get me back with petty threats. But over the years, they eventually gave up. "You don't have to worry about that though. They are completely out of my life."

"I wish that was all…" Levy replied. Her crying grew louder. "The truth is, that's the least of my issues. The truth is… I was _terrified_ after hearing that. I was scared of _you,_ Gajeel! Even though you've never given me any reason to be afraid of you, even though I knew that you had changed, I was still terrified of you. And I feel _horrible_ for that! Even after Lu-chan found out, she got over it fast. I'm your girlfriend, I should've gotten over it faster! I just felt so guilty for being scared but I couldn't stop. I ended up avoiding you all this time and when you started coming back to school, my guilt only grew because it was real proof that you did change. Proof that there was no reason for me to be scared and yet I was. I'm a terrible girlfriend, Gajeel!"

I stared at her with wide eyes as she sobbed. I knew that she was going to be scared, that's why I avoided her so long. But I didn't think that she would feel guilty about it.

"Are you still scared?" I asked. I was scared to hear the answer but I needed to know.

Levy shook her head quickly. "No! I'm not, I promise! But the fact that I was scared at all is terrible. Y-You deserve s-someone that wouldn't have ever had such a weak moment like me!"

I couldn't help but smile as she continued to cry. Yeah, her being scared of me sucked. That was the reason I hid everything from her in the first place. But it was understandable. I couldn't blame her for that. It was the fact that she felt guilty about it that showed she actually cared about me. Anyone else would've just looked at me like garbage on the side of the road. She was actually mad at herself for being scared.

I wrapped my arms around her tiny figure tightly. Immediately her crying paused.

"I'm only gonna say this once because I ain't about to go soft, so listen good," I started. "I want to walk side by side with you forever. I love you, Levy. So quit your cryin' already."

As I expected, this actually made her cry even more. But I was pretty sure they were relieved tears. I smiled and let her cry onto my chest. She needed to get it all out, and I wasn't about to pull away from our first hug in almost a week. So, we stood like that, even after she stopped crying. It wasn't until Panther Lily rubbed against our legs that we finally pulled away.

"You're such a softy, bringing home a stray cat and all," Levy teased.

"Shut up," I replied, picking up Panther Lily and holding him between us.

"I've never seen a cat with round ears before."

"It makes him that much cooler! Salamander's cat doesn't even compare to Panther Lily!"

Levy laughed and my heart felt lighter from it. How long had it been since I heard her laugh? Too long. Acting on instinct, I leaned towards her and kissed her. At first she was too shocked to even move, but it didn't long for her to bring her hands to my face and push her lips harder against mine.

Panther Lily took that as his cue to jump out of my arms, allowing me to put my hands on Levy's hips. I pushed harder and harder, my grip tightening on her. I spent the last week scared that I was going to lose her. Now that she was in my arms, I wasn't going to let her go so easily.

Levy seemed to have the same idea. She tilted her head to the side and moved her hands from my face to my chest, grabbing my shirt tightly. Things felt right again and my hands started to move on their own, moving up her side. I felt her shiver, driving me to go more. My hands kept going higher until they brushed against the side of her chest.

Immediately, we broke apart. Both of our faces were red.

"U-Umm, we should probably stop there," Levy said.

"Yeah," I replied. It was a good thing we did too because certain body parts were starting to tingle.

"I missed you," Levy mumbled, wrapping her arms around my waist since she was too short to reach behind my neck.

"I missed you too," I replied, rubbing my hand over her hair.

We pulled apart and I gave her a quick kiss before the front door opened. Belno looked at us and smirked.

"Finally," Belno said. "I take it you're staying for dinner, Levy?"

Shrimp blushed and replied, "If that's okay with you."

"Of course. It's the least I can do for you cheering that brat up." Belno moved to the kitchen to start cooking when she noticed the bowl on the floor that I used to fill up with cat food that Panther Lily, which he finished. And with that, I knew I was screwed. "Why is a bowl on the floor?"

Levy laughed awkwardly and glanced at me. I looked at the door, debating if I should start running or not. But it was too late. Panther Lily took that as his cue to show up and rub against Belno's leg.

Belno screeched and glanced at him. "Why in the world is there a dirty cat in my apartment!?" She glared at me and I could tell she was going to murder me. " _Gajeel!"_

"I can explain," I said, dodging the shoe that she threw at me. "I found him and he's a stray! He needs a place to stay!"

"So take him to the damn pound, not here!"

"Hell no! He's perfect! Look at him!"

"I did! He's covered in dirt!"

"Panther Lily isn't that dirty!"

"Panther Lily?" Belno repeated. "That's… not too bad of a name."

Lily rubbed against her legs again and purred. And for the first time in my life, I saw Belno smile and coo. I didn't know the old lady was capable of that. She crouched and pet Lily behind his ears.

"I suppose he's a bit cute," she said.

"So I can keep him?" I asked, smiling at Levy.

"Fine," Belno answered with a sigh. "But _you_ pay for all of his stuff. And you're taking care of him."

"I was already going to, old hag!"

Levy and I grinned while I picked up Panther Lily. Not only did he get Belno to warm up to him, he also broke the ice between Levy and I. He was here to stay. And from now on, so was Levy.

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

After school, Natsu and I headed back to my house like always. This time, we let Capricorn drive us back- well, I forced Natsu into the car, but still. Crux had been going over our homework with us but after seeing that we were fine on our own, he left to go take a nap, leaving just the two of us.

I couldn't help but blush noticing how close Natsu was beside me, his hip flushed against mine. The day didn't go how I expected at all. Natsu didn't bring up our kiss at all. Did I read it wrong? Did he really not like me like I thought? Maybe he really did just hold my hands to warm them up.

I frowned, gnawing on my lower lip. I was too shy to glance over at him, so I opted for staring at my homework instead. It wasn't like I was actually working on it anyways. My head was too wrapped around the boy sitting next to me, as always.

"Hey, did you do number twenty three?" Natsu asked.

"Huh? Oh, no. Sorry," I replied, bringing my head up to actually focus. I looked at the problem, seeing that it was actually pretty simple.

"I need some help with it."

I turned my head towards him to repy, shocked that his face was so close to mine. His breath washed over my face, filling my body with warmth. If I moved forward a mere inch, our noses would brush against each other. I stared wide-eyed into his obsidian orbs, surprised to find something I couldn't name swelling inside of them. It looked like… _lust._ My eyes darted towards his lips and I found that the corners of his lips were pulled into a smirk.

"Na…tsu?" I asked, my voice but a whisper.

The boy moved forward, his nose brushing against mine and his lips getting dangerously close to mine. My insides turned to goo as I saw his mouth part slightly.

"Think you can help me with this problem, _Luce?"_ he asked, his voice low.

My face was set ablaze and my brain started to short circuit. He was so close. It would've been so easy to kiss him again. But alas, he pulled away and gave me a cheeky grin.

"You seem really out of it, Lucy!" he stated, still smiling at me.

"S-Shut up!" I replied, turning back to our homework. " _I really thought he was going to kiss me… I need to get a grip of myself!"_

So, we went back to working on our homework. I couldn't stop thinking about his lips so close to mine. Getting a grip of myself was going to be hard, especially when it seemed Natsu just had to be in my personal bubble.

When we finished our homework, Natsu and I headed to the kitchen for a snack. Usually Virgo could've been found in the kitchen, but she had the day off so she wasn't there. That left just the two of us.

I stood on the tip of my toes, reaching into a cupboard for a box of gummies, my stomach pressing into the countertop. The moment I turned around, I squealed noticing how close Natsu had gotten. He pushed forward, causing me to take a step back out of nervousness, but I couldn't move too far back since the counter was there. He gave me a deep smirk as he placed his hands on the counter on either side of me, trapping me within his arms.

My heart nearly palpitated out of my chest as fire coursed through my veins. I stared into his dark eyes, wondering what he was going to do next. My body tingled watching as he leaned closer to me. Just like earlier, his mouth parted, but instead of going to my lips, he went towards my ear.

"I'm gonna grab some water. Want some?" he asked, his voice husky.

I couldn't speak. I just stood there, paralyzed. What was he doing? Why was he acting so weird? It made me want him even more than I already did.

Finally, Natsu pulled away with his signature grin, moving towards the refrigerator and grabbing two water bottles. He held one out to me before smirking.

"Got you one too," he stated. "Your face is all red. It looked like you could use it."

I snatched the bottle from his hand and began chugging the water. It wasn't even hot and yet I was beginning to sweat all over. I didn't think my body could handle going on without anything happening between us much longer.

Eventually, it was time for Natsu to leave. We stood outside of my house, the front door closed. The stars were shining magnificently in the sky and there was nobody around. It was the perfect setting for a long, passionate kiss.

"I should get going now," Natsu stated to my disappointment, though I knew it was true.

Smiling at him, I replied, "Alright. See you tomorrow Na-"

Faster than I could keep up, Natsu moved in front of me, gazing into my eyes. In seconds my face got red, though luckily the dark night did well disguising it. He leaned forward and I followed pursuit, only to have him laugh and tussle my hair.

I pouted watching him laugh. Why in Earthland was he getting so close and not making any moves on me? Was he really that dense? Then it hit me.

" _He's playing with me!"_

My hands curled into fists as I suppressed a growl. I wanted to kill him, but I restrained myself. No, murder would be too painless. I needed a better form of revenge.

Summoning my courage, I smirked as I moved forward and wrapped my arms around Natsu's neck, which instantly put an end to his annoying laughter. I pulled his limp body towards me, ignoring the heat that travelled through my body at the contact. I brought my lips towards his, grinning smugly noticing that he gulped before leaning forward.

"Goodnight, Natsu," I whispered as seductively as I could. Now I saw why this was so entertaining. Natsu's eyes grew wide in shock and his cheeks colored in embarrassment. Unwrapping my arms from his neck, I gave a quick wave before sticking my tongue out towards him and sashaying back into my house. Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it, calming my breaths.

I placed my hands over my flaming cheeks. I had so much confidence with him now. I didn't think I would be able to do that with anyone else.

" _Maybe next time I'll kiss him myself again."_

Smiling, I headed back to my room to head to sleep. And as always, a certain pinkette invaded my dreams. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

 **AN:** So Gajevy finally made up. :')

 **ThatOneFriend-3:** Lucy is definitely getting more confident lately. :') Now all the ships are fine. :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** I really liked the last chapter too! It was hard to follow up with lol. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** You hit the nail with all three guesses! :D And SS Nalu is getting close to leaving port. ;)

 **MuffinMalonez:** Lol yes I do know how to swim! :D

 **00nighthowler00:** THEY'RE OVER NOW AND ALL THE SHIPS ARE DOING FINE! :D

 **Alexa60765:** I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT! THERE WAS SOME NALU IN THIS ONE TOO! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** HAHAHA GLAD YOU LIKED IT!

 **Vilchen:** Hahaha but who is going to confess first? ;D And I'm talkin with real words! :D Thanks for the review :)

 **Lunahartz:** Haha I had an F last quarter and was barely able to bring it up at the end. :') THANK YOU SISSS!

 **Nalulove:** Thank you :) I think we needed a break with the angst haha. :')

 **Sam1114:** THE TORTURE IS OVER NOW THOUGH I PROMISE. From here on out, nothing but smooth sailing for a while. ;D

 **Guest:** Ahh thank you so much I'm glad you liked it. :)


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